


Life Turns Right

by Sapperjoe85



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Abuse, F/M, Fighting, Fluff, Heartbreak, Loneliness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2020-05-12 01:09:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 65,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19218556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapperjoe85/pseuds/Sapperjoe85
Summary: In a college town on the outskirts of Zootopia, several lives that haven't been going smoothly take a turn. For the better. A used up rock star wanna be. An unwanted child without a home. A student without a family. A soldier with no one left to fight for. Join us as we watch a group of individuals become a family. An OC collaboration between captainKelrin and Sapperjoe85.





	1. A chance meeting

**Author's Note:**

> One of the many distractions as of late. Hope you enjoy, this is a collaboration between myself and captainKelrin on ff.net. It includes the OC's of our own creation along with ones from some of our friends. When you have the chance go check out some of his other stories on ff.net https://www.fanfiction.net/u/8084314/captainKelrin 
> 
> A big thanks to TogDoesStuff for taking the time to edit and proofread this. Check out his stories, they won't disappoint.

It was a stormy night. Rain fell from the night sky in heavy torrents all over the college town of Foxford. A medium mammal town about an hour’s drive from Zootopia which made the sight of a wet, gray chinchilla running down the back alleys of main street feel even rarer. The rodent jumped into the relative safety of the doorway to the department store. She shook the water off her thick coat, on the verge of tears. “This was such a stupid idea...” She sneezed and groaned. “Oh, daffodils.”

The young mammal's shorts, shirt and dense coat were soaked clean through. She started to fluff her fur, trying to dry herself. It was barely a minute before the rear door to the store opened, knocking the chinchilla back into the rain.

“What the?” The female bobcat behind the door exclaimed, her brown eyes shining in the dark of the closed store. Her face, the typical fluffy soft gray of a bobcat ready for winter, hid her features in the dark.

The chinchilla whined as she stood up, now covered in muddy water. “Oh sweetheart, are you alright?” The feline's voice carried a deep southern purr of a place hundreds of miles away.

With a scared yelp the little chinchilla scurried away to hide between some dumpsters. The feline watched, then calmly followed. Walking on only her paw pads through the water, she towered even more over the child.

“Oh, I'm so sorry.” She said, as she looked between the dirty rusted dumpsters, her eyes aglow in the low light. Along with her perfect white teeth, it could appear intimidating, her voice was anything but. The bobcat spoke softly and smoothly as she knelt down low. “I didn’t mean to knock you over, come on out, those rotten old dumpsters are horrid. You don't want to get that all in your fur and clothes.”

The young chinchilla stared at the older female as she pressed herself against the back wall. One dumpster was pushed too far back to get behind, the smell and situation gave her an overwhelming sinking feeling. She stared up at the creature that in ages long past would look at her as a snack, but all the child saw was concern in the predator’s features. Rain still pouring down on her, the chinchilla slowly approached. The cat reached out and gently took up the child in her paws.

“There we go, dear.” Ignoring the rain, she wrapped the scared child in a hug, shielding her from the rain with her yellow raincoat. It was a bit awkward with the chinchilla being an eighth of the bobcat's size. “Where are your parents? Let's get you home-”

“No!” The rodent almost shrieked and struggled, trying to get away.

The bobcat blinked and looked at the child, holding her as firmly as she could. Soon the chinchilla relaxed and sniffled as she looked up terrified. The feline nodded in acceptance. “Okay, okay...” She smiled comfortingly. “How about you come spend the night with me then, until it stops raining?” Her voice was even and motherly, unbeknownst to the cat, it made the chinchilla feel safe for the first time the child could really recall.

With a meowing grunt, the cat pulled off her raincoat and draped the comically oversized garment over the tiny chinchilla. It was only a moment before the black low-cut blouse and hip-hugging blue jeans of the older cat were soaked. She took a moment to lock the door before scooping up the chinchilla and carrying her over to the only car in the employee parking lot. Walking only on her paw pads she made her way over to the red ford mustang.

The bobcat snorted and shook out her coat a bit as she sat in the driver's seat. She looked over at the little passenger beside her, both were soaked, and the chinchilla was starting to shiver. “Here, let's warm up.” The cat popped the car into neutral and started the engine, turning up the heat.

With a happy squeak, the chinchilla hopped to the edge of the seat and stood so that the hot air was blowing on her. “I'm Kristy, by the way.” The feline held her paw out to the tiny passenger.

Wordlessly, the child hesitantly shook the bobcat’s large finger with both paws. Her tiny claws held Kristy's pointer tightly, a child in search of someone to save her.

Something awoke in the cat at that moment. Kristy had been on this planet for 30 years but- as she put it, was now living her second life. However, this was the first time Kristy felt her true motherly instincts flare up, this little one didn't need to tell her the buried story, yet.

Kristy smiled and despite her ancestrally predatory nature, the young rodent wasn't frightened. “Let’s get home and see about some food.” She giggled seeing the hopeful smile of the child beside her. “Okay sit back and hold on, I don't think the seat belt will fit you.”

While Kristy was an aggressive driver, normally putting all eight cylinders worth of 400 horsepower at her car’s disposal to use, she wasn't dumb. It was raining, and her car liked to kick its rear end out even when it was dry. She didn't want to end up wrapped around a tree. The fact the child wasn't strapped in was a whole other story.

At a stop light down the street, Kristy looked down at the child all wrapped in a raincoat. Just under the rumble of the engine and the epic metal music the bobcat had turned way down, she heard a tiny little growl.

It was the chinchilla’s stomach.

“Hungry?” Kristy asked. The little one looked up and nodded with a quiet squeak. The bobcat looked at her new charge. “I think I’ve got something...” the bobcat grabbed her damp purse. She dug around in it for a moment and pulled out a small chocolate bar. The light turned green, being the only car on the road, Kristy ignored it and used a claw to open the package. She broke off a third of the bar and offered it to the chinchilla.

She sniffed at the unrecognized treat and asked. “What is it?”

“Chocolate.” Kristy replied matter-of-factly, she’d thought that was obvious.

“I've never had that before...” the child admitted with more than a bit of trepidation, all but breaking Kristy's heart. “But it smells good.” the chinchilla commented as she took the treat from her rescuer. The little rodent took a small nibble off the corner of the chocolate bar. Her eyes flew wide, Kristy smiled as she accelerated, cycling through the gears. The sad, wet child beside her was smiling wide as the taste banished her sorrow. At least for the moment.

The drive was as quiet as it could be in the rain, low music playing. Kristy was singing along with the song when suddenly the Chinchilla said, “Orchid.”

“What was that?" Kristy asked, glancing at the child.

"O-Orchid"

“Is that your name?” The chinchilla nodded Kristy smiled as she drove, "That's a beautiful name." When she heard no response, the bobcat looked over to see Orchid had dozed off in her seat. Kristy smiled seeing her comfortable enough to sleep.

The rain was still coming down as Kristy pulled into the driveway of her house. It was a nice blue-green stucco exterior with two car garage. She’d done well in the last few years, so it was pretty good. The bobcat opened the garage with the push of a button.

The feline pulled her car into the tight space left by the other car. The black sports car was much like hers save for the dragon decals on the sides, showing it was more than Kristy's stock model. The car belonged to her current boyfriend. Kristy briefly worried he would be upset. He was livid when Kristy signed up for the exchange program and Stefano came to live with her.

But it was her house and should only be for a day.

She slipped her purse over her shoulder and gently pulled Orchid out of the raincoat. The chinchilla was like a newborn drenched from a bath in Kristy's arms. She stepped out and shivered as her paws touched the cold concrete.

It was a little difficult to close the garage door while Orchid slept cradled to her shoulder, but she managed. The chinchilla stirred at the sound of the garage door closing but settled down before Kristy could even open the back door to her house.

The garage led into the kitchen, something that Kristy loved. Chad, her boyfriend, may be out-of-a-job now, but he was a trained chef, so it wouldn’t be long before he had his own restaurant. Kristy’s nose flared at the smells she walked in to. Seared tuna steaks with baked sweet potatoes, all cooked perfectly. The kitchen was an inviting Savanna tan with dark wood cabinets and brown, speckled granite. Silver appliances dotted the room, fridge, toaster, all the things one would need. At the stove with his back to the door stood a male bobcat. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt as he slid the tuna steaks onto plates.

Kristy mewed as she looked from her boyfriend to the table set for two. A tray of cheese crickets- which Chad must have been snacking on, sat between the two plates. “Hey baby.” Kristy said, snagging a cricket to munch on. “Stefano already eat or something?”

“Yeah.” Chad replied as he turned off the stove, picking up the plates. “Said he grabbed something at school.” The tom froze as he looked at Kristy. His eyes narrowed, and he growled slightly. “What the hell is that?”

“A little girl that needs our help.”

“Kristy, you can't just help every single little sob story you see.” Chad growled as he slapped the plates down, the forks rattling as he did so. The sound woke Orchid, but she didn't move, playing dead, so to speak, she knows what happens when she drew the attention of arguing adults.

“Keep it down, Chad. You’re going to wake her up.” Kristy growled in a harsh whisper. She had weathered the anger of her boyfriend before. She turned and made to leave the kitchen.

“Hey, don't walk away from me!” Chad growled moving to cut off Kristy’s path. “I'm still talking.”

“I'm just going to put her to bed, Chad.” Kristy snapped back, the harshness of the reply stunned the male for the moment she needed to slip past. The feline trotted past the den and into the hall. Her ears twitched as she passed the guest room, Stefano was listening to music while he studied.

“Damn-it Kristy, I am talking to you!”

“It's just for the night Chad.” Kristy said as she opened the door to her master bedroom.

“Don't you fucking dare!” Chad snarled, turning Kristy around. “That's our bedroom.” The first bedroom door cracked open and a set of vertical slits watched quietly from the low light…

Instincts flared up and warred in Kristy's mind. The instinct to submit to her potential mate, and the need to protect her young. She stared at her mate for a long, tense moment... until the stronger of the two won out.

Kristy let out a beastly snarl and pulled herself from the tom’s grasp, “No. It's _my_ bedroom, _you_ just sleep in it.” The female turned and walked over to the chest of drawers.

“You can't talk to me like that!” The male snarled back.

“Well, I just _did_.” Kristy said coldly, opening a drawer and making a bed for Orchid. The little chinchilla listening, making sure she didn’t so much as flinch.

Chad's fur stood on end as he stepped closer. “Those are my shirts.”

“Chad!” Kristy snapped. “Stop, it's just-” her words her were cut off by a rough slap to the face.

“ _OUH…!_ ” Stefano growled coming from his room. He dashed past Chad, rounding on the tom, fangs bared. Meanwhile Kristy held her slapped cheek as a tear formed in her eye, "CHE CAZZO STAI FACENDO?!" The fox snarled in his native tongue.

“Stay out of this _fox_.” Chad snarled, even though Stefano was taller, the bobcat's voice had the advantage of age. Yelling in a kitchen helped.

Orchid was about to jump and find a way to escape when Kristy decided she’d finally had enough, snarling at the offending male, “Get out!” Chad had been mad before, but he had never hit her. She had weathered his anger before cause the good times were so good.

No good time could counter this.

Before Chad could question her, Kristy stepped past Stefano and snarled again, “Get out! It’s over. We're _through_ ... Do I have to write you a fucking letter?” The smaller feline’s drawl gave her statement even more weight.  
“There's a line and you crossed it, Chad.”

Chad snorted, opened his mouth to speak but staring at the burning brown eyes of the female- that just became his ex, made him back down. “You can come back and get your stuff when we have cooler heads.”

With a low snarl, he turned and walked away. A moment later the back door slammed and the male’s car rumbled to life.

Kristy took a deep breath and looked at Stefano, then Orchid with a gentle smile. “Let's go eat, never liked to waste food.” The young chinchilla trembled a little as she nodded.

“...Sure?” Stefano said in his thick Italian accent. He wasn't sure what happened. He looked at the bobcat a little confused. She was still smiling gently as Orchid held up her paws to be picked up from the makeshift bed, probably to just be set on the floor. “Who's this?”

Orchid clung to Kristy’s shirt as the bobcat held her up. She stared, a little frightened by another male predator, especially after what just happened. “This is Orchid.” Kristy introduced, “Orchid, this is Stefano. He's a friend.”

The fox was thin with red fur. He was young, a freshman in college in fact. He lived with Kristy now as part of an exchange program. There was a sadness about the fox but since Chad had made his disdain for Stefano clear Kristy never really got to talk to him and find out why she heard crying in the guest bedroom at night.

With a purr and a glass smile Kristy carried Orchid to the kitchen with Stefano in tow. The food had cooled off a little, but nothing that a quick spin in the microwave wouldn't fix.

Orchid stood on the table and sniffed at the cheese bowl. Her belly rumbled hungrily until she noticed the multitude of legs and antenna. The child hopped away from the bowl of bugs.

The little chinchilla squeaked as the fox sat down with his plate. “Hi!” He said sweetly, his voice thick with his far-off accent.

Stefano's face fell as the chinchilla squeaked, then hopped over to where Kristy was sitting. “Don't worry Orchid, Stefano's nice.” The bobcat purred and introduced her young guest to one another once more.

The fox nodded his long snout making the action slightly comical. “Hi, little sweetie, don't worry I don't bite.” The fox’s ears fell as Orchid continued to back away from him. The chinchilla squeaked as she bumped into Kristy's arm. “She's just a little scared, can't blame her.” The feline smiled as Stefano agreed.

Orchid looked up at Kristy as the bobcat spoke. “Here, try this, it's a sweet potato.” The feline held up her fork with a chinchilla sized bite on it. Orchid cautiously sniffed the reddish orange, stringy starch. She wasn't sure what it was, she hadn't been given anything like it before.

The chinchilla took the bite off the fork and chewed the soft plant’s flesh. She was just about in heaven. It tasted so good. She swallowed and squeaked wanting more as Kristy exclaimed. “Knew you would like it.” She froze for a moment realizing what she was about to say before her smile broke the bobcat said. “Here try it like this.”

“Okay!” Orchid said excited, Stefano and she watched as Kristy mushed up her sweet potatoes with some cinnamon and honey. It was almost too sweet for the chinchilla, but she ignored it and ate her fill. Almost half of Kristy's potato, and nearly twice her meager weight.

It was a quiet meal, after such an emotional moment earlier, none of them really had the words to say. With full bellies the three retired to their bedrooms. Stefano to his while Kristy laid a nearly awake Orchid in the little bed in the drawer.

Once alone in her bed the fragile barrier holding back Kristy's emotions shattered. She quietly sobbed so as not to wake the child in the room, it didn't work.

Eventually, both were whisked away by better dreams.

Orchid awoke in the warm makeshift bed she had been placed in the night before. She heard a voice, but her groggy mind didn't understand the words at first. The chinchilla rubbed her eyes and yawned as the words became understandable.

“She freaked out when I said we were going to find her parents,” Kristy said into her phone, probably talking about Orchid, “and it wasn't like she was worried about getting in trouble, she was terrified. I could feel her little heart and everything.”

The mammal on the other end of the phone spoke for a moment before Kristy replied. “Yeah, yeah, plus y'all don't have a place to keep her and I really think she should stay with someone she's familiar with.”

Whoever was on the line spoke as Orchid stood up to watch. “Awesome, you're great detective, I'll get you those pictures before I head to work.” The bobcat paused for a moment. “Yes, you can call this phone number, I always have it with me.” The feline smiled another glass smile as she spoke. “Good luck, detective.”

Kristy hung up her phone and looked over at Orchid, the smile brightening with true joy. “Morning little one.” The bobcat jumped up and walked over. She had changed into a black band T-shirt and some tight cotton shorts. With a purr she offered to pick up Orchid, who silently accepted it.  
Kristy, freshly washed, her specific predatory scent covered by chemical blockers and replaced with a soft grassy fragrance, carried Orchid into the kitchen. Breakfast was simple and quiet, cereal for both. Thankfully Kristy had some frosted wheat cereal and a cup small enough for Orchid to drink from. The bobcat spent most of the meal on her phone. Tapping and swiping, almost completely ignoring Orchid.

“And done.” Kristy said out of the blue. Orchid squeaked and looked up confused. The feline smiled and laid her phone on the table, so the chinchilla can see it.

“What is it?” The young rodent asked, looking at mail order website for clothing and supplies.

“It's a bunch of stuff for you.” Kristy said smiling sweetly. “Bunch of clothes, a car seat so you can ride in my car more safely…” the feline rattled off casually, “Oh, and I read that Chinchilla's don't like to bathe in water, so I got you a cute little dust bath!” Orchids mouth hung open as she scrolled through the shirts, skirts and- quite literally, every other garment the chinchilla might need.

Orchid jumped onto Kristy's belly and hugged herself close to the bobcat. The feline hugged her back, smiling happily. “Now to figure out what you’re going to wear to work...”

 

 

The sound of soft laughter mixes with the rustling of the tall grass. The air, filled with pollen from spring flowers, brings warmth and new life. Lovers lie on the blanket as the sun heats their bodies. The scent of wild flowers travels over still forms. The gray fox blinks and turns his head to the vixen he loves lying next to him.

_“Samuel”_

**SCREECH SCREECH SCREECH**

With a sudden intake of breath, the gray fox sprang up from the couch. Panting heavily as his heart pounds against his ribs. Blinking away the last vestiges of sleep, he reaches over and turns off the alarm on his phone. Sliding his feet to the floor, he runs his fingers through the fur on his head, gripping his ears lightly as he pulls them back.

_“That same dream.”_

Releasing a heavy sigh, he drops his arms to his sides before standing and walking to the bedroom. Passing through the doorway, he stops and looks sadly at the large king size bed. Going about his normal routine of brushing his fur and teeth, he notices his winter coat coming in. He dresses for work, cooks a simple breakfast and watches the morning news as he eats. Just as he’s done every morning for the past few years.

The walls of his home are bare, unpainted, giving his home a heavy scent of pine and cedar. No pictures or decorations that bring a sense of life or semblance of happiness. A single shadow box displays a tan beret, a couple rows of colorful ribbons and silver wings, but no more. A single testament to courage and sacrifice.

No bright colors or decorations with uplifting quotes or passages of inspiration. He didn’t have need for that anymore. His want for that sort of thing, passed away.

Finished, he places the dirty dishes in the sink to soak before leaving. Walking down the stairs of his home to where his old jeep with the ragged soft top sits waiting. With the doors off, he jumps in and takes his seat. Pumping the pedal several times while turning the key, the old V8 engine roars to life and easily turns the big off-road tires.

After purchasing the house, his commute became a little bit longer. But he didn't mind, the tranquil scenery along this route made waking up earlier worth it. As the trees and fields gave way to concrete and store fronts, he inevitably pulled into a moderately sized parking lot. Killing the motor and pulling the parking brake, he dropped from the old workhorse and walked to the nearest street crossing, narrowly avoided getting soaked by the wave of rain water as a little red sports car zoomed by.

With the road now empty again, he crossed the street to a building that took up the entire block, not that the block for a college town was that big to begin with, especially since it catered to mainly medium sized mammals. Despite being only an hour drive from Zootopia, Foxford received few visitors and hardly any residents larger than a wolf or whitetail deer. And even fewer smaller than a weasel or otter. And so he had no trouble opening the door that was nearly perfectly sized for him. The first to arrive that morning, he wasn’t surprised to find another gray fox sleeping on the couch in the break room.

“Firnen! Wake up!” He nudged him with his foot. The younger Urocyon barely budged. Firnen may be an odd one, but he seemed to have a magical ability to resolve problems. When no one was able to figure it out, they called Firnen. Other than that, he seemed to just sleep all day or play magic tricks with a deck of cards. If you needed him and he wasn’t talking loudly in his heavy accent, you could find him sleeping on the couch. Plus, he always turned his work in on time.

With a sigh, the older gray fox went to his office. A plain beige color painted on the walls with a simple desk and laptop. Unlike his home, it was decorated in pictures, portraits of himself in various locations. The Appalachian trail, Grand Canyon, multiple national parks with majestic sights of nature's wonders displayed in the background, but all had one thing in common. A fox, with an emotionless expression. As though these sights and accomplishments meant nothing more than to say, ‘Yes, I was there’.

He Looked through his calendar and saw nothing important or pressing lined up. So, he started looking through the schedules of his employees. They were only twelve in total, not including himself. The little group ranged in all different spectrums of life. Some like Firnen, foreigners, who came to Zootopia, looking for a better life. Only to find the city where anyone can be anything didn't exactly live up to its moniker. Some looking for something different, veterans who still wanted a challenge and some that were just weird and didn't fit in anywhere else. All forming an odd but effective team.

And so his life went, day in and day out. No change, no sense of purpose, no joy, just the basic instinct to survive and pour his energy into his business just to give himself something to do.

Until he received an email.

 _“So much for a quiet day.”_ He thought, opening the message to reveal an outage at a local store just down the street. A new client that they’d assisted in helping to set up an online inventory system and network monitoring. With another sigh he stood from his desk and gathered the tools he would need. He didn’t think anyone at a music store would have a good enough grasp on electronics to look at the equipment and tell him what was wrong. He also wasn’t the one to install the equipment and had no idea how it was mounted, so he couldn’t talk whoever answered the phone through the process. Exiting the building he yelled back to the lone occupant.

“Firn, hold down the fort while I’m gone!” He heard an exaggerated grunt followed by the sound of movement on the vinyl couch before letting the door close behind him. Sam walked to one of the waiting white vans with the company logo on the side. A fox head with the ears made to look like antenna towers and a bolt of lightning traversing between the two. Underneath the logo the words “Retrans Networks” was spelled out. He started the vehicle and then pulled out into the still quiet street before heading towards his destination. It ended up being just a short drive down two blocks and to the right. Pulling up he considered the sign for the location. A classic sitting cat silhouette shaped to resemble an instrument with music notes coming out of its mouth.  
**Cat’s Meowsic**

He shook his head slightly, not feeling up to dealing with cats and their inherent superiority complex. Taking his tool bag in paw, he stepped out of the van and walked into the store. As he reached the door, his keen eyes were drawn to a red sports car in the parking lot. He didn't even humor the idea that it was the same one from this morning. Even in a small town, the likelihood it was the same was rather slim.

Entering the store, he felt the muggy air give way to comfortable air conditioning. The dark blue carpets were soft and showed signs of regular cleaning. The large main floor of the store was taken up with display tables of CDs, music books and even cassette tapes and vinyl records. To the left was a small supply of cords, picks, strings, drumsticks and resin; all the little things musicians need. There was also a repair and restore shop behind the wall. To the right was the string instruments, violins, guitars, basses- both stand up and guitar, along with everything in between. Beside it was a section of horns and woodwinds. The back area was split in two; on the right were drums and the like while the left was electronic keyboards and amps, even microphones. Splitting the two sections was a door with the word “Restrooms” over it.

There were a few other mammals in the store. A pony in the drum section was testing out one of the sets. A cougar was inspecting a bass while a wolf helped him. A vixen was changing out one of the sporadic ‘special’ displays, switching accordions with hurdy-gurdies. A young Ocelot, wearing a purple hoodie and jeans, stood behind the register. She greeted Sam as he looked around.

“Hi!” She greeted with the cheer found in most retail stores. “What can I help you with?”

“I’m with Retrans Networks, we received a notification that you were having issues with your internet.” Sam explained.

The ocelot’s eyes lit up. “Oh good, you’re the guy my manager was looking for.” The gray fox nodded as the cashier explained where to go. Following her instructions, he walked to a door at the back of the building. It opened to a hallway and he walked to the third door on the left past the restrooms, where he paused to knock before entering.

“Come in.” A female voice called from the other side. Opening the door, he found a room filled with instruments of varying types, tools musicians often use, microphones, stands, spare parts, strings, boxes of guitar picks. Everything was sorted and labeled with bar codes. At the side of the room sat a desk that faced a room full of equipment. This gave him a side view of the female bobcat sitting at the desk. She wore black dress capris and a light blue short-sleeve blouse. Both of which served to pronounce her feminine curves. He felt shame as his first thought of how she might have become a manager wasn’t through hard work and merit. He’d only taken a second to observe her when he noticed something moving on her desk.

What had to be the fluffiest rodent he’d ever seen was scurrying around a coloring book using crayons that were far too large for her size. She had gray and white fur and wore a loose fitting pastel blue dress with a white lace skirt. The puffy sleeves and bow belt didn’t quite fit, almost as if it was meant for the stuffed bear sitting on the desk beside the computer.

He cleared his throat to gain her attention, the frustrated bobcat looked from the computer with a dismissive angry gesture, then smiled a nearly perfect customer service smile as she greeted him. “Howdy there, how can I help you?” She looked up at the fox, wearing dark khakis with cargo pockets and noticed the white logo on his dark blue polo, perking her up further. “Or perhaps you’re here to help me.” She giggled as she stood to introduce herself, extending her paw, anticipating a pawshake. “Kristy.” She offered, then watched as the fox stared unblinking into her eyes. He felt captivated by these golden-brown orbs as they shone with a light. Behind that light, he thought he saw just the slightest hint of sadness creeping through.

“Sam.” He nervously offered, taking her soft paw in his own, his expression mostly neutral if not a little curious. The bobcat smiled anew before taking her paw back and then turned to the chinchilla sitting on the desk.

“And this is Orchid.” She beamed towards the chinchilla on the desk. The child shily waved before returning to her drawing.

After the introductions, Kristy turned to the computer. “I don't know if it was something I did or what, but the system just died, for lack of a better term.” She motioned to the computer.

Sam shook his head slightly and blinked several times to regain control of himself. He cleared his throat again as he felt his ears heat up with embarrassment. He looked at the computer screen and spotted where the issue may be coming from.

“Do you know where your network closet is?” Sam asked, doing his best to avoid looking into her eyes again.

Kristy mewed. “Oh, um, right this way.” The short-tailed cat looked at Orchid before leaving. “I'll be back in a bit Orchid, so don't you wander off.” The little chinchilla squeaked an acknowledgement before going back to her coloring. Kristy lead the fox back into the hallway and to the last door on the right. She was about to turn the door handle when muffled moaning suddenly sounded from behind it.

The bobcat looked back at Sam and blinked, the fox had his ears turned forward and a look of surprise across his face. “That couldn't be what I think It was.” Kristy took a breath and opened the door marked ‘server room’. The room was small and had electronic equipment mounted on the wall. But that's not what drew the attention of the pair as they looked in the small closet.

Staring back, a clouded leopard looked over his right shoulder at the pair with a panicked expression, his pants down around his ankles and a set of tan legs wrapped around his waist. No doubt belonging to the caracal cat looking over the leopard's other shoulder as her paws held onto some equipment above her own head. A blue cord wrapped around her wrist.

"Oh, are they gonna join us?" She asked curiously.

Kristy's eyebrow twitched as a low growl rolled from the bobcat’s throat. The feline shook as she closed her eyes and looked away. “Are you kidding me!?” The bobcat said through clenched fangs. “All our computers are down because you can't keep your pants on!" Her paws clenched into fists, shaking with anger. Sam looked from the couple caught in a compromising position to the bobcat beside him. Perhaps he'd misjudged her? When she looked back into the room, her eyes carried a feral glint as her lips raised to show her fangs. He immediately dropped his tool bag and reached out just in time to catch her as she attempted to launch herself toward them. He was fortunate she was shorter than he was, and he held her around her waist, lifter her hind paws from the ground, and began dragging her back the way they came. He didn't bother to speak to the other two as he dragged her back and kicked the door shut.

Kristy’s growls ceased as the source of her rage was hidden from her. Sam pulled the bobcat away from the door, gently tossing the wiggling feline in the process. Kristy’s paws went momentarily spread-eagle on the floor with her claws gripping at the linoleum. She growled and shook as she attempted to regain her composure. To occupy her paws, Kristy smoothed out her shirt and redid some of the buttons on her blouse.

“Sorry, sorry I'm not...” She looked away, ashamed by her outburst. “It's been... there are...” The bobcat sighed. “I'm just in a rough patch... you know?” Kristy looked up at Sam with eyes on the verge of tears.

Sam stared into her eyes for a moment before looking away, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed for staring, again. “Um, yeah, I get that.” He couldn’t help but wonder what had caused the sadness in those eyes. “Yyyyoooouuuu, wanna talk about it?” He looked back curiously.

Kristy took a breath, shook her head and ears, brushing away the question. “No, no, I don't want to bother you with my troubles.” The server closet door opened, and Kristy’s sad eyes fell on the pair that stepped out. “I just want to get back to work.”

Sam looked towards the door as it opened and watched the two cats leave the room. He wasn’t looking forward to the smell that they had no doubt hot boxed the room with. He glanced at the bobcat once more before stepping past the two, retrieving his tool bag. He took a deep breath before entering the closet and disappearing from view of the three cats.

“Kristy, I...”

The bobcat’s glare stopped the caracal mid-sentence “Candice, just-... just get out front.” Kristy sighed as the other female hurried away.

“We’ll go out tonight, Candy.” The clouded leopard said before fixing his dress shirt. “Look Kristy, I’m sorry-”

“Listen, Kassidy.” Kristy said using the male’s full name. “I can’t tell you what to do but you should probably… not hang around today.” The clouded leopard was the ‘adult’ son of the owner and was supposed to be in charge. Most of the time it was Kristy or Amy, another manager, in charge. Being one of the few responsible adults was never something Kristy thought she would become.

Kas, as he was called, was about to put the smaller cat in her place, but the look in Kristy’s eyes stopped him dead. He cleared his throat and looked away. “I think I have a meeting with my father.” The clouded leopard left, leaving a fuming bobcat behind.

Mere seconds after their departure, Sam burst out of the server closet and slammed the door shut. He took in large gasping breaths as he held himself up by bracing against the wall, forcing himself not to gag and only half succeeding.

Kristy giggled, the comical display making her smile for a moment. “Is it really that bad in there?”

"It's definitely not the first time they've used this room. And they're not alone." Sam stated, standing up, having regained control of his gag reflex.

"Not sure if I should be insulted or not." Kristy replied.

"What, upset no one ever whisked you off into the _secret sex den_?" He gave her a teasing smile as he gathered his tools up, glad his fur hid his blush and hoping his ears weren't giving him away. The flirting felt… not forced, rusty maybe. He hadn't spoken to anyone like that since…

His smile dropped instantly, and he turned to leave. "Anyway, your internet should be back up now. I should be going."

Not noticing Sam's deflated mood, Kristy thanked him before adding, "Not really jealous, more annoyed I haven't met anyone worth doing that with in a while." The feline's own mood sinking as well.

He looked back and considered her sullen posture for a moment. “Ever?” He asked.

Kristy thought for a moment. "Not really," the bobcat sighed as she headed back to her office, "hate to say it but I don't have the best track record with the opposite sex." Walking side by side now, he tried to lighten the mood a little with an off the wall question.

"What about the same sex?" His teasing grin returning.

"Tried it. Has its perks." Kristy giggled and looked up at Sam with a wicked grin, batting her eyelashes. "But I might want to try something other than a fellow Felid."

Sam felt his cheeks and ears warm slightly as he chuckled nervously. "Uh, never thought about it myself."

Kristy's smile was as fragile as glass as she looked up at Sam. "Maybe you should." She looked at the door to the office and storage area. "Maybe we both should." She turned back to Sam and held out her paw. "It was… certainly something, Sam."

"Entertaining, if nothing else." He accepted the offered paw and squeezed it gently. Clearing his throat, he pulled it back to his side and awkwardly backed away. "So, I guess I'll see you around sometime?"

Kristy giggle and nodded. “Hopefully then the problem won't be caused by someones primal urges.” She smiled.

He jumped a little when his tail bumped into the door. “Y-yeah, that wouldn’t be good.” He said with an embarrassed smile, standing at the door with an awkward silence before disappearing behind it.

Kristy watched the gray fox leave, before her mind could wander to his _finer_ features, the bobcat shook her head and went inside. "Probably doesn't like broken girls anyway." With that moment of self-deprecation turning into a long string of memories about each of her failed relationships, each heartbreak.

Orchid looked up as Kristy sat back at the desk. A hollow look on the bobcat’s face, her eyes shaking like they were about to flood with tears. "Kristy." Orchid squeaked.

The bobcat's face brightened the moment Kristy looked at the chinchilla. "Sorry Sweetie. I'm, uh, just tired."

"Okay." Orchid replied. She turned and pushed over one of the pieces of paper she had been drawing on. "For you."

"For me?" Kristy said picking up the drawing. It was done with the amount of skill one would expect of a child. The orange figure depicted was a short-tailed feline, probably female, judging from the clothing she wore, in fact, Kristy wore it last night. With how the figure was towering over darkness, it gave a glimpse into the psyche of the artist. "Is it me?"

Orchid nodded as she was pulled into a tight hug. She squeaked and hugged back as best she could. The young rodent had no idea she was helping the mammal that saved her.

Sam quickly made his way out of the building and back to the vehicle, when he shut the door he released the shaky breath he’d been holding. He closed his eyes, trying to regain control of his rapidly beating heart. Looking down at his paws, he could see them trembling.

“What is wrong with me?” He asked himself.

 


	2. Crossing Paths Unseen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam struggles with the inner turmoil he's been ignoring. Kristy shares a bit of her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the many distractions as of late. Hope you enjoy, this is a collaboration between myself and captainKelrin on ff.net. It includes the OC's of our own creation along with ones from some of our friends. When you have the chance go check out some of his other stories on ff.net https://www.fanfiction.net/u/8084314/captainKelrin
> 
> A big thanks to TogDoesStuff for taking the time to edit and proofread this. Check out his stories, they won't disappoint.

Sam made his way back to the office, driving faster than necessary. The scenery slipped by unnoticed as he drove on autopilot. He was surprised when he pulled into the parking lot and placed the vehicle in park, not entirely sure how he got there. He sat for a moment and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. 

 

**_Thu-thump, thu-thu-thump, thu-thu-thump...._ **

 

With a sigh, he grabbed his bag and took it inside. As he walked down the hall he noticed Firnen was now at his desk working on something. Sam didn't want to stop him so he kept going. He kept his pace quick until he was in his office, dropping the bag by the door before sitting at his computer desk. He quickly filled out a work order and filed it away for record keeping, leaving out the embarrassing details, for the client's sake. That finished, he leaned back in his chair and simply stared into space. He wasn't sure how long he sat like that, contemplating nothing as he looked at the many pictures around the room. He remembered each of them with a hollow sensation as he took a trip down memory lane. A noise in the hall caught his attention and he leaned over to see Firnen exiting the storage closet. He quickly leaned back over and checked the work schedule. Firnen was the only one not tasked with something outside of the office.

"Hey, Firnen!" Sam called, The younger fox returned to his boss's doorway. 

"Yes, sir?" The younger vulpine answered with a slight accent.

"Come have a seat for a minute." Sam gestured to the seat across from him. Firn, as most called him, approached with a hint of hesitancy. He'd never been invited into Sam's office before. 

Sam took a brief pause before asking, "How long have you worked here?"

"Um, about three years." Sam nodded as he studied his employee. The two of them looked very similar. Even though, genetically, the only thing they had in common was they were both of the canidae family. Hisself being in the  Urocyon genus and Firnen in the Lycalopex.

"How long have you been in the country?" This inquiry made the other fox's fur bristle. He wasn't a citizen here, if he lost his job, his work passport would be voided and he could be deported. Sam didn't even notice Firn's reaction as he looked around the room thoughtfully. 

“Six years...” He  answered, his voice on edge. Sam glanced at him for a moment before looking back at the wall.

“Have you been to any of the national parks? Seen some of the sights?” He said while pointing at the pictures behind Firn. The younger fox turned in his seat and studied the pictures for a moment.

“No, no I have not.”

“You should.” Sam replied softly with a nod. “And... take someone special.”

Sam looked back at his computer, the day was already over, time having slipped through his fingers. He rose from his chair and walked toward the door. “See you tomorrow Firn, don’t lose your chance at something worthwhile.” and with that, Sam was gone.

Firnen sat in the chair a few moments longer. Wondering to himself what his boss meant by that.  

“ _ Was he speaking to me, or just thinking aloud?” _ He looked back at the pictures once again. Each with a very lonely fox.  _ “...or trying to convince himself?” _

  
  
  
  


Kristy smiled as she framed up the shot with her phone. Orchid- still in her borrowed teddy bear dress, sniffed curiously at a silver-dollar pancake glistening with maple syrup and butter. Most children weren’t allowed to sit on the table, even at little corner dinners like the one they had met Stefano and Kristy’s cousin, at. 

A gazelle waitress stood beside the table in a soft pink uniform dress. She was waiting to make sure that the young chinchilla would be satisfied with the meal, the whole scene being adorable was nothing more than a bonus for the waitress.

Stefano sat in the booth seat across from Kristy. He watched the chinchilla with a small smile. His sad blue eyes were the brightest his companions had ever seen. He wore a red checkered shirt and blue jeans. They were a little worn- like much of his wardrobe, but that was the style, at least for this month; it seemed to change from month to month.

Beside Stefano sat Riley. A lynx Kristy called her cousin. There was no blood relation between them but the young cat and his family were the closest thing Kristy had, her own family having long since fallen out of contact. The dark silver, almost jet-black lynx wore oil stained coveralls and a blue shirt. He was an engineer student at the same school Stefano attended. Riley often giving the fox a ride.

Riley's brown eyes sparkled as he bit back his encouragement. The little chinchilla was nervous around the larger mammals surrounding her, she really only seemed comfortable with Kristy. Orchid glanced up at the predators before pulling off a pawfull of pancake. Even the silver dollar pancake was still as big as her torso.

Orchid chirped as she took a bite of the- for her, proportionately large chunk of pancake. She smiled and squeaked, happily devouring the bite in a flash. 

"I think she likes it." Kristy exclaimed, joyfully stopping the recording. The waitress sighed in relief and told the group to flag her down if she was needed, stepping quietly away from the odd grouping.

After finishing her chunk of pancake, Orchid frowned. "It's really sticky."

"Oh." Kristy exclaimed a light turning on in her head, "I should order a bunch of forks and stuff that you can use, and keep some in my purse." She mewed, sending out a short order on Spamazon.

Seeing Orchid trying to lick her paws clean, only to result in coating her face in the tacky residue, Stefano picked up his napkin. "Here little one, let me help." He dipped the light cloth in a glass of water, reaching over only for the chinchilla to squeal in fright and bite his finger. Stefano yelped as her buck-teeth cut into his finger pad. The little rodent scampered into Krsity's lap almost tripping on her ill fitting dress as she hid.

"What happened?" Kristy asked comforting Orchid with one arm while setting her phone down.

"She bit him." Riley answered, while Stefano cursed in Italian, sucking on the offended extremity. 

"Why?" Kristy looked at the chinchilla, who was looking up with wide, watery eyes and a twitching nose. "Stefano... I think you scared her." The bobcat smiled in a way only a mother could as she rubbed Orchids head. She looked to the young fox, held out a paw and mewed. “Let me see.” 

"I was just trying to help..." The red fox replied, ears down as he held out his finger. Kristy looked at the cut, commenting that it wasn’t much more than a prick, she then pulled a bandaid from her purse for the fox.

"Dude, put yourself in her fur." Riley said as Kristy dabbed a napkin on her tongue so she could clean Orchid's face more easily. The chinchilla protested, but at least the bobcat wasn't straight up using her tongue- even assuming the child would prefer one over the other, in this case.

Stefano nodded. "I suppose... _ non sarei toppo diverso se fossi _ ." He awkwardly put the bandage on his finger. "Si, I guess should know, I’m a young Volpe in a strange place, far from home... another country no less." His eyes trembled for a moment, not a result of the minor pain in his finger, being in and of itself little more than a paper cut. 

"Least it ain't Zootopia." Riley added with a flick of his abnormally long tail. "They got lions and tigers and bears there dude."

The fox flicked his ears forward briefly, simply exclaiming “Oh my.”

“Zootopia isn't so bad.” Kristy said, having cleaned Orchid’s face as best as she could, she asked what was still sticky and Orchid held up her paws. The bobcat started to rub them as she spoke. “You just gotta look out for the distracted big ones.”   
  
“You’ve been to Zootopia?” Riley asked as he took a bite of his waffle.    
  
“Yep.” Kristy answered, drawl momentarily breaking through the achieved city-slicker smooth, thinking back to the good ol’ days. “I told you I’ve been all over with the girls.”   
  
“What do you mean?” Stefano asked starting on his bugburger, being careful to keep his bandaged finger clean.

“Oh, I used to be in a band.” Kristy mewed, having finished cleaning Orchid’s paws. The bobcat smiled thinking about the days from almost half a life ago. “Yeah, started it in highschool with a dream to hit it big.” She giggled. “Never got there though.” She purred with a mouth full of food while she rubbed Orchid's head. The little fluffy-tailed rodent listened and started purring after a moment, like she was trying to emulate the sound from the cat.   
  
“Kristy was on lead guitar.” Riley said with a smile.   
  
The red fox’s ear perked at the mention of guitar. “I used to play guitar.” Almost the moment the words left his maw, Stefano’s ears and eyes fell once again.   
  
“Really?” Kristy asked. “Why’d you stop?" She offered some plain hash browns to Orchid. The chinchilla squeaked adorably as she munched the potato strings.   
  
“Had to sell my guitar.”

“Why?” Kristy asked genuinely concerned.   
  
“Couldn't take it on the plane, needed money when I got here.” The fox replied, staring into the layers of his bugburger. Feeling more questions coming, Stefano had to steer the conversation back to Kristy. “What happened with your band?”   
  
Riley’s long tail flicked, senses tingling at the redirect. He decided to leave it be for now. Kristy noticed the same thing, it made her bobbed tail twitch. Not wanting to bring up possibly old wounds, the bobcat answered. “Well, like I said, some friends and I started it in highschool. Just a bunch of 17 year old girls with a dream. Back then we got excited for even the tiniest gig.” Kristy's smile grew as she thought about it. “Took three years for what we thought was our big break. You'd think selling a hit song to a big band would be the start of our climb to stardom, but after an 8 year dry spell, the rockstar life took its toll.” Her voice caught for a moment, “I'm just glad I got out when I did.” The bobcat’s eyes shook as she thought. “But I wouldn't trade those days for anything.”   
  
“Oh.” Stefano said blinking, tears threatening to form.

“You know, cousin.” Riley said, “I've never heard you play.”   
  
“Heard me sing in the shower though.” Kristy shot back with a giggle, returning to a good mood. 

“Riley’s family took me in while I was down on my luck, trying to be a normal adult.”

"So that's why you call him cousin?" Stefano asked. 

Orchid squeaked and quietly asked for another bite of pancake. While Kristy got the child in her lap a bit more food- this time with a piece off a napkin to help keep the mess manageable. Riley spoke. "Yeah, it's not a ‘cat thing’."

"Yeah. I got some lynx blood in me, but I'm not actually related to Riley." Kristy answered, but saw the phrase going over the exchange student’s head. The bobcat bit her lip, quietly adding, "Cause my back paws are bigger and fluffier like a lynx, makes me think I got one in my family tree somewhere."

The fox nodded before trying to sneak a peek under the table, being the tallest at the table made it difficult. He did note that Kristy's paws looked a little big for her body, even as she moved one behind the other. "What about your tail?" Stefano asked referring to the long tail on the lynx.

"Mom is an ocelot.” Riley explained simply. “We just haven’t come up with a good name for a lynx, ocelot hybrid.” He shrugged, knowing Kristy wouldn't share anything about her parents, he asked Stefano instead. “How about yours? Never hear you talk about them, not that we’re in any of the same classes... but still.”   
  
Stefano looked away, working his tongue a bit. “Um, they're just normal foxes.” 

He looked down at the floor outside their booth. “What about your family. Your real family, Kristy?” he quickly shot off, hoping to end the line of questions toward himself.

“You okay?” Riley asked, concerned. It took a moment before Stefano reluctantly nodded.   
  
After giving Orchid another bit of food, Kristy finally answered. “Both normal, too normal in a way. Dad was an officer in the army ‘til he retired to run the family farm. Mom was a typical officer’s wife. My sister wanted to be just like my dad. While my oldest brother- last time I checked, was almost there too. My other brother owns his own side business along with working the farm with my dad. All  _ so _ normal.” The bobcat sipped at her milk and giggled.  "I didn't want to be some farm girl in high school, so my friends and I loaded up a van and struck out for a lifelong adventure." With a snort the bobcat smirked. “It never happened, but it was… fun, most of the time.” Kristy's eyes sparked with nostalgia, but there was pain behind it. 

Joy, loss, excitement, heartbreak, love and disappointment... it was all there, hinting at the story that was Krsity's life before now. Orchid squeaked to be put on the table for a drink, which Kristy obliged with a purr. The cat reached out and held the glass for her.

"It’s nice hearing you talk about your family.” Riley commented. “You don't do it enough.”

“Yeah,” Kristy said rolling her eyes. The bobcat made constant excuses about why there were so many Muzzlebook messages from both parties left unanswered.

Orchid stood on the table to drink. The straw was big for her but she was able to get a refreshing sip of chocolate milk. After savoring her new favorite beverage, the child noticed her blue eyes in the reflection of the window. She looked at herself unsure of how to feel. 

Safe.

Happy.

Uneasy.

Sad.   
She didn’t know. Anything other than to go back to her old life.

As the child gazed at her reflection in the window, a jeep pulled into the parking lot. Orchid thought nothing of it as she watched the vehicle. She didn't care much for cars, she was just glad to watch without the fear of repercussions.

  
  
  


Sam pulled into a parking space at a local diner. He didn’t normally eat out, but today he just didn’t feel like cooking for himself, which usually ended up being a cold sandwich or cereal. Once he killed the motor, he pulled the parking brake into place. Swinging his legs out of the cab before hopping down. He walked toward the entrance, being sure to check for traffic when a familiar car caught his attention. 

Twice was a coincidence, three times is a pattern.

The little chinchilla quirked her head at seeing the familiar mammal from earlier that day. She watched as the gray fox left the wobbly jeep then stopped to look at Kristy's red car. He smiled for a second before shaking his head in that silly way foxes do, that made her smile to herself. 

Sam snorted and wondered briefly if he would meet the owner before going inside. He found a corner seat that was empty and claimed it for himself. He picked up a menu and started perusing the options. When the waitress, a red vixen, asked what he’d like to drink, he asked simply for water and a moment longer to figure out what he wanted.

A few minutes later and he'd decided on the country fried komodo steak with white gravy. It was busy tonight, and took time as the waitress was tending to other customers. But Sam was a patient mammal. He watched as the waitress went over options on the menu, guiding the young couple towards a decision. After seeing her jot down the order he waved her over and quickly gave his own. 

As he waited on his food, he used the time to look around and took notice of something. He was the only one here alone. Each table was a display of couples at a different stage of their relationship. The first date couple that shyly looked at one another while asking awkward questions. The going steady couple. They’d gotten past the awkwardness and were just getting comfortable with one another. The engaged couple, excited about the new adventure together. The honeymooners, just married or married less than a year. They still looked into each others' eyes with love and wonder. The routine couple, the ones that have been married for a few years together and found themselves stuck in a routine due to work and kids’ schedules. The rediscovery couple, the ones with kids old enough to take care of themselves, allowing the couple to find time to reacquaint themselves with each other. And finally, the golden couple. The ones who made it through everything. The good times as well as the bad. Raised a family and now the nest was empty. Also the most comical to watch of the group. Knowing their time with each other was quickly coming to an end and enjoying what little they had left. 

Sam looked at the first three couples with sadness and grief. The last three with jealousy and anger. Jealous of what they had and anger for what he didn’t. What he’d lost. He felt his eyes begin to burn with unshed tears when the waitress brought his plate.

“Country fried komodo steak with gravy?” She asked to make sure it was his. Sam simply nodded and looked at the table, trying to reign in his emotions. She sat the plate on the table in front of him and said to let her know if he needed anything else. He nodded as she left. He didn’t look up to see if she noticed his emotional state. He didn’t care, he’d lost his appetite and was now trying to decide if he should just pay his tab and leave or ask for a to-go box. The thought of a soggy patty made the decision for him. He looked up to find the waitress and call her back over when something else caught his attention. Someone blocked by one of the couples in the room. A familiar soft gray feline. He leaned over slightly and was able to confirm it was indeed the bobcat from the music store. Her soft winter coat was coming in nice and even. The soft gray color replacing the summer’s burnt orange, only the cream of her under side and her brown spots remaining constant. He looked down at his own unimpressive patch work of a winter coat that was uneven and filled with more white hairs than he cared to admit. Looking back again, she seemed much happier than before. He wondered what could have… 

Suddenly it was all clear. The movement of another mammal’s head allowed him to see the two males joining her. What appeared to be a dark furred lynx and a red fox. Both looked younger than she, but he didn’t know enough about bobcat physiology to be sure. Still, seeing her enjoying time with another male after the blatant flirting they’d both participated in earlier in the day stung more than he thought it should have. 

He looked again for the waitress but she’d disappeared into the back somewhere. Then, to his horror, the little group stood and walked to the cashier. Sam rested his outside elbow on the table and turned his head to the side, using his paw to hide most of his face. He looked through his fingers to keep an eye on them in case they walked his way. He watched as they argued over who was paying for the meal. The lynx and fox saying they would pay for their own if she wouldn't let them cover hers. She called the lynx cousin at one point and ended up paying for the fox's, saying he should save as much as possible while in school. The relief he felt when it became obvious she wasn't dating either of them surprised him. After settling their bills he watched them casually leave the diner. Through all this, Sam never noticed the little chinchilla watching him as Kristy held her close, almost lovingly. 

With the group now gone, he leaned back in his chair once more, letting the tension in his shoulders evaporate. No longer having an appetite, after giving the group time to leave, he left a twenty on the table and walked out.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Long Thoughts, Quick Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Kristy have another run in. Sam's friend helps him to see it's time to move on. Kristy decides to show her ex that she hasn't lost her touch.

In the young mammal bed section of "Penn”, ‘Den and Burrow’, Kristy stood with an empty shopping cart beside her. Wearing a soft blue sweater, a short, blue pleated skirt and midnight blue leggings with stars and moon designs in a light-blue thread, she drummed a claw on her lower lip as she looked at the otter pup sized bedroom set. Orchid’s clothing had arrived that morning, and Kristy was wondering where to keep it all, and more importantly where the chinchilla would sleep. Orchid couldn't keep using Chad’s old clothes as a bed after he finally picked them up. Once the drawer was empty her clothes could be stored there but where would she sleep? 

 

Orchid herself was in the cart’s children's seat. She had plenty of room to move around and look as the seat was intended for larger mammals much younger than she. With her new clothing to choose from, she now wore an outfit that fits so much better, a pink pinafore dress with matching bows and colorful designs, pulled over a plain white shirt. Being able to get out and see so many new things had Orchid a little over excited.

The Chinchilla stared wide eyed at each display as if she couldn't fathom the size of the furniture around her. She had never been furniture shopping -much less in a store, as her ‘Parents’ had actively left her behind to avoid ‘issues’, especially for themselves. She didn't say why, but Kristy had her best misled guess on the problem.

A badger in a green polo tagged with the “Penn”, ‘Den and Burrow’ logo on his chest motioned to the bedroom set and the ones on either side of it. "These are otter sized sets which are the smallest we carry in-store." Kristy scrutinized the items and then compared them to Orchid’s size.

"They still seem a little big." She looked at the price and sighed. "And expensive." She turned to the chinchilla. "Orchid would you like to try it?" 

The chinchilla turned with a squeak and looked up at Kristy’s gentle smile. Then, to the white bed and dresser with pink princess sheets and false pink gems for drawer handles. Orchid nodded then held up her paws to be picked up. The badger smiled as he watched the way Kristy gently lifted the smaller mammal from the cart and to the display. The little Chinchilla instantly on the bed, and Kristy pulled out her phone to record her bouncing on it.

 

After bouncing for the camera a few times, she hopped over to the pillow and wiggled her way under the covers. The bed was too small for Kristy or maybe even a bobcat of Orchid’s age, but the otter sized bed was massive for the little chinchilla. Kristy felt it was the cutest sight in the world. After a moment of getting comfy, the chinchilla started to make a purring sound.

 

Kristy sighed, however, she wasn't sure she had the space for the bedroom set. After another sigh and a quick check of the time she decided it was time to leave. “Well, I’ll have to think about it.” She smiled warmly at the worker and thanked him before patting the foot of the bed and calling Orchid over. “Come on Orchid, we got to grab some other stuff before work.”

 

“Okay.” The child replied as she wiggled out of the sheets and scampered across the bed, back into Kristy’s arms.

 Once Orchid was loaded up in the cart, Kristy pushed it down the aisle. As they passed the end cap of the aisle they were on, Orchid let out an excited squeak. The feline looked down curious what could have caught the child’s attention. "What is it?" She asked, the chinchilla squeaked and pointed at a nearby display. A pair of beds with tall frames, one dark painted wood the other painted white. On the left side of each bed were a set of steps with drawers built into them, the right was made to resemble a false castle tower with a slide. The first bed had 'walls' made from blue fabric with white trim while the other had pink walls with lavender trim. Each had three round windows with the same trim and a clear plastic film. The raised bed had a canopy made of the same colored fabric that opened, as displayed by the pink bed. The towers had a rectangular window on either side and was topped with a white or lavender pennant. A fabric door hid a play area under the bed again displayed by the pink bed.

"Those are cute but..." Kristy looked at the high price and sighed, it was well out of her budget, besides that, the display was wolf sized. She looked down at Orchid who was pleading with her eye., "I’ll think about it BUT." Kristy scooped up the child before she could pout. "You can play on it for a bit."

Orchid squeaked happily as she was placed on the display. She giggled and ducked into the play area under the blue bed. She laughed as she bounced around, it was almost criminal that other mammals couldn't see her gleefully playing.

After a moment she wiggled out from under one of the walls, barriers are nothing to a rodent child. Kristy giggled as she watched Orchid climb up the steps nearly too tall for her. Then with a gleeful laugh she bounced on the bed over to the tower. Orchid squeaked and looked to see if Kristy was watching. When she saw that the bobcat was, the child launched herself down the slide.

The little child bounced on the shelf then hurried to climb up the steps again, she was having the time of her life. As Kristy watched the happy child a flash of gray caught her eye. The bobcat looked up and saw a familiar fox walking with another mammal. 

Sam walked the pathways of the furniture store looking over the various makes and styles on display. Beside him walked a small wolf or possibly, a large dark furred coyote. Frank, as the black wolf was known, had a light sprinkling of grey throughout his fur. While shorter than a normal wolf he was lean and muscular. His most striking feature being his electric blue eyes. The two walked beside each other as they looked over the various couches and living room sets.

“Hmmm, do you think this color would work? Sam?” The wolf asked.

“Hu? What?” The fox questioned, having been pulled from an apparent day dream. 

“The color?” Frank asked again, gesturing to the ostrich leather couch. The leather dyed to various shades of red in a gradient pattern. The thread in the seams were black and brass buttons held it along the edges. The wooden feet were carved to resemble paws.

“I’m not sure if red bird leather goes with… Whatever you call that color in your living room.”

“Flaxin.” Frank informed his friend. “I like the design though.” He let out a content sigh as he sunk into the soft material. He was joined shortly after by the fox who had to jump to sit on the couch. Allowing himself to sink into the soft cushions of the display, Frank watched his longtime friend out of the corner of his eye. The fox had seemed a bit off since the last time they spent time together. He seemed to constantly be off in his own dream world. From time to time, he’d catch him scratching at his left paw, particularly, his ring finger. “Are you alright?”

“What?” Sam looked over at his friend, noticing the wolf’s bright blue eyes had turned into a cloudy green. Something had upset him, or he was just overly calm for some reason. “What is it?”

“Dude, you’ve been off since you picked me up. You’re way more quiet than you normally are. You keep zoning out like you’re lost in your own head. And you keep…” Frank trailed off when it came to mentioned Sam’s paw, unsure how to approach the subject.

“I keep what?” Sam asked as he narrowed his brow, feeling slightly offended by his friend. So, what if he’d been distracted lately. It didn’t mean anything. He was a mammal, like anyone else. He was entitled to think about something else from time to time. It didn’t mean anything. It certainly didn’t mean he was thinking about-

“Your ring finger.” Sam froze at Frank's soft words. “You keep rubbing your ring finger.” Sam’s breath hitched in his throat. He looked down. True to his friend’s words, he was rubbing his ring finger searching for a missing weight. “How long has it been?” Frank asked.

“Ten years, three months and sixteen days.” Sam said in a pained voice. He didn’t know how he knew, only that it came to him in an instant and he knew on his life that it was correct. Frank looked around, making sure they were alone and out of earshot from anyone else.

“Listen, I know it’s not really my business but as your friend, I’m worried about you. I know you greys tend to have a long mourning period, but I don’t think she would want you to be alone for so long. She wouldn’t want to see you sad.”

He was right, Sam’s mind flashed back to a hospital room. The walls were a dull gray with white tiled floors. He sat on the side of the bed, holding the paw of the vixen he knew was his one and only. He kept watch as she slept peacefully. A sudden intake of breath signaled a waking moment. He smiled as her brown eyes fell on his and her lips tugged upward. Her lips, dry from lack of use began to-

"Sam!" The fox was suddenly pulled from his memory. The source of the distraction was bouncing down the walkway towards him. Soft grey and orange fur wrapped in blue and black with golden brown eyes. The bobcat was smiling as she strolled towards the fox, small bundle of white and pink held close in her arms. Sam smiled as he stood and walked towards her. 

"Oh hey! Uh, Kristy, right?" They stopped within arm’s length of each other. Frank remained on the couch, watching as the two greeted one another. "And Orchid?" He asked looking at the ball of fluff in her arms.

Orchid was panting slightly from playing while Kristy nodded with a smile. "Yep! So, what brings you here? This place having computer issues to?"

"Oh no, just, you know, looking around. Thought maybe a new living room set might be in order. What about you? Planning on putting a mattress in the server room for what's his name?" He said with a teasing smile. 

Kristy’s ears turned red and she moved her paw to Orchid’s ears. “There’s a little one here, dude.” She barely said through a snicker. Sam's ears dropped back at being called out for the crude joke but managed to keep a smile in place, mouthing an apology.

The bobcat let the chinchilla hear again. Orchid flicked her ears and then fluffed her cheeks before hiding her face in Kristy’s chest. “Anyway, no, we’re just looking for a bed for little Orchid here.”

Sam’s head tilted as he looked between the two curiously. “Oh? So, are you a foster parent?”

Kristy giggled and her ears turned a little red. "Not exactly." The bobcat looked at the little child she held. “It's a bit of a long story." She smiled at Sam again. "But I am taking care of her. I think I'm doing a good job."

“From how she’s hanging on to you I’d say you were. Do you need any help? With finding a bed, for Orchid I mean.”

Kristy smiled genuinely, that lingering sadness fading as a cute feline giggle escaped her. She turned away, almost shyly, if it weren't for the sparkling gaze, she gave Sam. A moment past before Kristy shook her head. "No, unfortunately our little town doesn't have anything smaller than small sized stuff." She sighed.

"Yeah, not many rodent sized mammals here. Hmmm." Sam seemed to stare off into space as he got lost in his own thoughts for a moment. His eyes looking through Kristy as he went silent. Then suddenly, his focus came back to her eyes. "Maybe I can he-"

Before Sam could finish offering to help, a depressing horror movie music sting chimed from Kristy's pocket. She stiffened and adjusted her hold on Orchid as she spoke. "Exes have such terrible timing, sorry." She lowered her ears and turned away as she answered the phone with a harsh. "What?" She listened to the voice on the line and growled slightly. "No, I have to work. So, come get your crap at 7:30." She sighed and shook her head. Orchid could feel the tension in the feline’s body as she looked around.

Kristy sighed again before looking back at Sam. "Sorry, it was nice to see you again." The feline turned and walked away. "No, Chad, I didn't mean you."

"Yeah." He said to her retreating form. "You too." The fox watched as she walked away. The way her skirt swished from side to side in time with her hips and the way her little bobtail-

"So!" Sam nearly jumped out of his own skin as he leapt away from Frank, who'd suddenly appeared out of nowhere right beside him. 

“Geez, don’t do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!” Sam panted holding his chest, Frank just watched the dramatic display with a wide toothy grin. “Why are you looking at me like you just found your next meal?” Sam asked as he raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, I haven’t found a meal, but it looks like you have.” The black wolf waggled his eyebrows before nodding in the direction the bobcat had just left in.

“Who? Kristy?” Sam said in disbelief, gesturing toward the bobcat with his thumb. Frank’s reply was to nod his smugly. “We just met!”

“And?” The wolf spread his paws to the sides palms up.

“And she’s already dealing with enough as it is. Look,” he continued when the wolf gave him a disbelieving look, “The only time we met was work related.”

“Sam, the moment you saw her you were up on your paws to talk to her, even offered to help her twice, dude you forgot I was even here. Oh, and the cherry too top it off, your tail was wagging the whole time.” Sam looked back to examine said appendage as Frank placed his paw on his friend’s shoulder.

“Look, if nothing else, it shows you’re at least open to the idea. Come out to the club with us tonight, have a few drinks and have a good time.”

“I don’t drink.” Sam deadpanned.

“Then you can watch us drink and get a laugh or two.” Frank countered.

Sam let out a sigh as he glared at his ‘friend’. “You’re not going to let this go, are you.”

“Nope!” Frank replied, popping the p.

“Fine!” He exclaimed, tossing his paws in the air in defeat. “But I’m not your DD, you and whoever else you’re inviting can find your own way home.” He pointed an accusing finger towards the wolf.

“Fair enough. I’ll text you the name of the place after I round everyone up.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The two continued to shop for a while before parting ways. Frank ensuring Sam would have a good time tonight.

Kristy’s drive to work would have been quiet except she’d turned up her music, like she always did when she was upset. The modern rock and classic heavy metal wailed and thundered in the small confines of the car. For Orchid, it hurt the little chin’s ears, but she didn't complain, not wanting to bother the bobcat. However, when Kristy looked in the back seat where Orchid was strapped into a perfectly sized car seat, she noticed how the chinchilla was flattening her ears tightly against her head.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry Orchid.” Kristy said turning down the music to a much more bearable level for the child. The feline sighed and looked at her charge. “Sweetie, you don't have to suffer in silence, you can tell me if you don't like something or if you want something. You don’t have to talk now but when you’re ready I’ll listen.” 

The child blinked and nodded she looked out the window above her as a song she knew started to play. At a stop light, Kristy’s ears twitched, a new sound had entered the classic song, a tiny voice. The voice needed practice and courage but there was potential. She smiled and glanced at the quietly singing child in the rear-view mirror as she thought to herself. “One day little one.”

It wasn't long until Kristy pulled into the parking lot of Cat’s Meowsic. She gathered up her purse and phone as Orchid unbuckled herself from the car seat. She squeaked and hopped over to the center arm rest of the car. She held her paws up so Kristy could pick her up more easily. After a quick pat down to make sure her skirt had settled right the bobcat headed inside. 

Kristy and Orchid quickly headed to the back office for some paper work. Being a manager had plenty of responsibilities both out front and in the back. While the bobcat worked Orchid did what she did the previous day; colored, napped or played with the toys she had. The bear whose clothes she borrowed, a set of fashion dolls, one a fennec vixen with a sassy smirk, a sweetly smiling red panda and a handsome hyena, and finally a couple sets of building blocks. All of which were currently set up to be some child's vision of an office. 

Sometimes Kristy regretted getting Orchid those toys. Just napping in the arms of the bear was so sweet it could rot one's teeth. But seeing the office life of Orchid and her dolls was too much that Kristy couldn't really do her job.

About two hours into her shift, Kristy leaned back in her chair and stretched. She released a squeaky yawn then mewed. She had been doing schedules today and fielded a few calls but all that was done now. After a quick grooming of her face and head the bobcat stood. She looked over at the chinchilla to check on the child. Orchid was napping on the bear, her face hidden in the nape of the stuff toys neck her long fluffy pipe cleaner tail curled around her and draped over her head. With each soft breath came a cute squeak.

Kristy didn't want to wake the young chin, so the bobcat decided to leave her be and head up front for a bit. Kristy yawned again as she grabbed her lanyard with her manager name tag on it, opened the door to the office and stepped out. The sales floor of the store was as busy as every Friday was, meaning there were a little more than a dozen customers in the store.

From her cursory scan of the storefront Kristy saw nothing out of the ordinary, but something did catch her brown eyes. It was something she had probably seen a dozen times. However, today it stood out. She approached the hanging light wood grain electric acoustic guitar. It was a mid-grade instrument, she in fact use to have one just like this one back in the day. It was great for-

"Need any help ma'am?" The white wolf salesmammal of the string section asked, his voice stained ever so slightly. 

A smile spread on Kristy's muzzle before she turned toward the grinning wolf, "J.B. it's nice to know you actually work sometimes, but I know what I'm doing." She said and she plucked guitar off the wall. The bobcat smiled and swung the instrument up under her arm.

With no strap and no way to rest the instrument on her leg so she had to hold the guitar with her elbow. Something she had done many times before, so it was no hindrance to what happened next. 

The fingers on Kristy's left paw danced over the neck of the guitar as she used her claws to pluck the strings. She ran through a few musical scales with only the lack of familiarity with the instrument and it being out of tune, hindering the perfection of the demonstration. Despite what Riley thought, she still played, her old guitar founding itself out of the closet and in her paws plenty often.

J.B. stared impressed, it was just a scale but still it wasn't what he expected from a girl like Kristy. He was about to say such when the bobcat cut him off. "Hey, grab me the case for this."

"On it boss." The white wolf hurried off to grab the soft bag as Kristy tuned the guitar by ear. Something she wasn't exactly good at, but that's what a tuner was for. 

After finding the soft bag for the guitar under the counter Kristy headed up to the cash register. One credit card purchase later, she headed back to the office to both leave it at her desk and to check on Orchid. The child was up again and drawing a picture of herself in a blue castle.

Kristy's credit card was not happy this day.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After buying the guitar, the day was uneventful, even buying the castle bed was easy. The site for the bed maker even had one in otter size, but not any smaller. Besides, it was big enough for Orchid to have her own little kingdom, but small enough that it could fit in the guest bedroom. It wasn't perfect, but it was what they had to deal with.

It could very well be a temporary thing anyway.

Back at home, Stefano was laying on the couch wearing a pair of soccer jersey shorts and a tank top holding a school book on his belly. He rubbed his eyes as the door to the garage opened. The red fox looked over the half wall into the kitchen as Kristy came in. "Ciao." He greeted.

"Howdy." The bobcat replied as she gently kicked the door close and set Orchid and her teddy bear on the table before adjusting the guitar on her back. Kristy regretted not tightening the strap before now, the guitar seemed to have a mind of its own as she walked. She placed her purse and keys on their usual shelf while Orchid nosed the teddy bear off the table and into the chair. She used the stuffed toy to soften the landing before repeating the process to get to the floor.

As Kristy headed to the living room, Orchid set her bear up under the table. She then hopped toward the office tucked behind the kitchen. She didn't have any plans, it was just the last room she hadn't explored.

"Hey, Stefano." Kristy said with a smirk. "I got something for you." Stefano's eyes darted to the guitar as she swung the instrument under her arm. She held it out to him by the handles.

"Oh dio...... oh mio dio." Stefano said in his native tongue. He took the gift from the grinning bobcat. He unzipped the case and pulled out the guitar. It was the color of lightly toasted bread, with a shiny lacquer coating, it was pistrine, like it had never been played, and best of all it had an electrical hookup. His eyes water a little as he spoke. "Oh mio dio Kristy, non ci cre- ehm, it's beautiful!! Grazie mille Kris- wait." He shook his head. "Eh, thank you so, so so much!"

"Your-" Kristy was cut off by the fox giving her a tight hug. The bobcat purred and hugged the fox back. "You’re very welcome."

The hug lasted for a good while. Both needing the physical affection at this time. Stefano excitedly released Kristy and yipped as he strummed the guitar. It was out of tune, but that's what the built-in tuner was for.

"I'll grab some batteries." Kristy said, trotting back to the kitchen. However, when she returned, her smile vanished. Sitting on the couch, quietly sobbing, Stefano hugged the guitar to his torso. Tears silently dripping from his muzzle. "What's wrong?" Kristy asked, as she hurried to the couch.

The bobcat rubbed Stefano’s back to calm him, a shuddering sob escaped the fox’s muzzle, catching the ear of the other mammal in the house. After a deep breath Stefano finally spoke. "You know... this remind me of my old guitar?"

“Yeah.” Kristy replied nodding. “The one you had to sell?”

"Yes... it was a gift from my parents... you know... we never had a lot of money you know. It made everything… difficult." The young vulpine shuddered as Kristy rubbed his shoulder. “They worked a lot of… bad jobs, that, you know, piss you off and make you tired.” He bit his lip as Orchid watched from the half wall that separates the kitchen from the living room. “Sometimes they didn't have time for me or even took their anger out on me."

Orchid wasn’t sure exactly what the heavily accented Stefano was saying but she knew he was upset. Kristy frowned, the older bobcat pulled Stefano close hugging him to her chest. The fox slipped the guitar from his lap to the floor and wrapped his arms around her. He took a shuddering breath and continued. "But they still were my parents... I couldn't hate them. They are the ones that brought me into the world! And they did a lot for me, even if they were angry at me sometimes. They still said they loved me all the time… That’s enough right? To be loved? They didn’t have to work so hard. Stuff is just stuff." Stefano sob a little, while Kristy feared where this was going.

Stefano caught his breath. "But, but then I had to sell the guitar. I needed the money for when I came here." He pulled himself close to Kristy. 

Kristy bit her lip before speaking. "I'm sure they understood, you can call them and talk to them about it."

"I can't!" Stefano sobbed. Kristy shuddered, knowing what that meant. "Just before I left for here, they were killed in an accident." Tears rolled down Stefano's cheeks. Kristy hugged him closer, she had no words for him. Just a gentle purr and a tight hug. Two months of bottled emotions released at once. Orchid, seeing the fox crying, hopped over and nuzzled Stefano’s foot with a gentle squeak. Kirsty mewed and reached down, the chinchilla hopped in her paw and was lifted into the hug. After a moment Orchid started to emulate a purr just like Kristy.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The buzzing hum of a microwave filled the kitchen as Sam stood with his nose inches from the glass. A bowl of spicy shrimp and noodles slowly bubbled on the turntable in front of him. After a few minutes the device darkened with a happy chime. Carefully removing the hot cup, Sam carried his meal into the dining room and sat at the table. He picked up a fork and stirred the noodles, gently blowing the steam aside. The aromatic mist wafted around his muzzle and into his nostrils letting him savor the smell of the spices. Once his meal had cooled enough to eat without burning his tongue, he stabbed a shrimp and spun his fork to gather up a bite, slowly lifted it from the cup. Watching as the liquid dripped from the noodles. His mouth watering as he anticipated the first bite. With enough of the water sufficiently dripped away, he moved closer, opening his mouth. The heat radiating from the noodles warmed his lips and tongue. He could taste the noodles without them even touching his delicate taste buds. 

The noodles dropped back into the bowl as Sam leaned back in his chair. Releasing an aggravated sigh as one clawed finger tapped the table. 

What was the point of going out? He didn’t even know who all Frank would include in this little escapade of his. Mostly likely friends Sam had never even heard of before. He’d no doubt be the oldest one there, standing out like a sore thumb. No, he wouldn’t do it. He grabbed his phone and began typing out a message.

Sam: I’m not gonna make it

The grey fox sets his phone down and began to resume his meal. As soon as the noodles were near his lips once again a blip noise draws his attention back to his phone. It shows a message waiting from Frank. Opening the device, he was confronted with a picture of a female bobcat wearing a transparent silk nighty and nothing else draped over her fluffy chest, an almost to skinny belly, and slender waist. Bright blue eyes with a smile that shined with an utter lack of depthed. He quickly deletes the picture before typing a reply.

Sam: Perv

Frank: She might be there

Sam: She didn’t look anything like Kristy

Frank: So you are thinking about her!

Sam growled as he set the phone back down before staring out the window into the woods surrounding his home. He stood from the table and stomped into the living room and began pacing the floor. Arguing one point as he padded in one direction, then countering it with another as he turned to saunter the other way.

“There’s no point in going.” Left.

“It might be fun.” Right.

“I don’t even drink.” Left.

“That’s never stopped me before.” Right.

“Drunks are annoying.” Left.

“I already said I’m not the DD.” Right.

“I won’t know anyone besides Frank.” Left.

“Kristy might be there.” Right.

“She doesn’t seem like the kind of girl that goes to bars.” Left.

“I don't know that. Don’t presume.” Right.

“She’s a parent.” Left.

“Doesn’t mean she can’t have fun.” Right

“The chances are astronomical.” Left.

“But there is a chance.” Right.

Sam slowed to a stop in the center of the room, his head down staring past the rug on his floor and the boards he stood on.

“It... would be nice to see her again.” He stood silent for a moment as he considered the possibility of seeing the attractive cat once more. It certainly wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, he thought, he had ran into Kristy twice at random already “Alright, I’ll go!”

He made his way back to the kitchen and grabbed his phone. Sending a quick text to Frank to send him the name of the club they wanted to meet at. He then went to his bedroom and opened his closet. Glancing through his wardrobe he was quickly dismayed by the lack of anything nice to wear, till he got to the back. Hanging out of sight was an older dark blue silk button up shirt he hadn’t worn in years. Beside it hung designer faded jeans with an alligator belt. He pulled the clothes out and looked them over. They might have been a little out of style, as far as he knew, but they would do. 

A ring from his phone notified him of a reply from Frank. He checked the message and saw he had plenty of time before they were to meet up. He went into the bathroom for a quick shower, making sure to lather up thoroughly. After a few minutes on the fur drier, he stood at the sink brushing his teeth, waiting for the steam to dissipate from the mirror. Once it had, he rinsed his mouth and smiled in the mirror. Only to slowly frown and cover his slightly yellow teeth from sight.

His dentist had told him it was natural and happened over time to everyone. She offered to whiten them, but he declined. Now he wished he could take it back. Resolving to only smile without showing his teeth, he picked up his brush and started smoothing his fur into place. This revealed two things. The first, his winter coat was still having trouble coming in properly. The second was his coat had a lot more silver than it used to. With a resignation sigh, continued brushing till he got to his tail, noting that at least his race strip was still free of any silver fur.

Once properly groomed, he put on the clothes he’d laid out to wear, noting they were a little snugger than the last time he wore them. He rolled his sleeves up to just below his elbows before tucking the bottom into his pants. He clasped the tail button closed and then the front. Putting the gator leather belt on last. After securing the buckle he ran his finger pads over the texture of the black belt. Admiring the way it felt.

Satisfied, he walked to his nightstand and opened the drawer pulling out a bottle of cologne. Only to throw the long empty and dry bottle into the trash. With a disappointed sigh he looked at himself in the mirror. For a tired old dog, he thought he looked pretty good. Satisfied, he walked into the living room and out the front door. Down the steps of his treehouse home and to the vehicles parked underneath. He started to climb into his old jeep but had second thoughts as he grabbed the climb bar. He looked over at the other vehicle he owned. He’d bought it for work and only used it three times that he could remember. Painted in metallic black the large four door truck shined even in the shade of the house. He hadn’t driven it in nearly a month, only cranking the engine to let it run for a while and charge the battery. A thin layer of dust had settled over the top and dulled the color slightly. 

Sam walked over to the massive vehicle and opened the driver door. The ostrich leather seats promised a soft and comfortable ride. The large digital touch screen in the middle console gave the vehicle an edgy, futuristic look. Deciding that if he wanted to make a good impression. This was the way to go. He climbed up and turned the key. For a moment nothing happened, but a few dashboard lights blinked on. Then the monster roared to life with a sound that shook the forest, setting some birds a flight. Sam allowed the engine to warm up before putting it in gear and letting the beast loose once again shaking the earth with its travel.

Inside the dark and lonely house, on the kitchen table sat a cup of microwave noodles. With the setting sun came the last rays of light. Revealing the final drift of steam before dissipating out of existence.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Dinner was a simple asain stir fry from a package. Something easy that Kristy could cook and split before adding some chicken for Stefano and herself while she could do some nuts and grass for Orchid. A mixed family was hard to satisfy, but Kristy was determined to try. It appeared that letting the emotions out had helped Stefano. He was a little more talkative than usual at the dinner table, talking about his day. Especially after Orchid hopped over to his plate and drop several of her baby corn stocks onto it. The chinchilla had squeaked in joy at first seeing them, so they must've been some of her favorite. So, giving them to him was a big gesture. However, Orchid was still a frightened little child, she still scurried away before the fox could thank her. 

Baby steps.

Now with full bellies, the three were relaxing in the living room. Stefano was on the floor going through some basic exercises on the guitar to get used to playing again. Kristy had already joked about his soft paws needing to regrow the calluses so that the guitar didn't bite back. 

Kristy had changed into some simple black basketball shorts with a red stripe down the legs and a ‘Guns and Rodents’ t-shirt. The bobcat was lounging on the couch. Her toes in foam spreaders with her claws out, letting the midnight blue claw polish dry. She blew on her fingers to help the same blue polish dry quicker.

The bobcat looked over at the coffee table where Orchid pounced on an apple almost as big as herself. She bit into a piece of fruit and grabbed it with her front paws. Kicking with her back legs almost like a kitten. Her little claws tearing into the juicy apple. Like Kristy, the child had changed into more comfortable clothes. She wore a pastel blue midriff revealing shirt, though it was more from playing with her dessert then the design, a cute cartoon penguin in a scarf and winter hat adorn the front. Orchid had also chosen to wear a Jean skirt with it, her fluffy fur made pants uncomfortable. 

Kristy was about to offer to cut the apple up again for the chinchilla but decided against it. Orchid didn't react too well the last time. The bobcat just smiled and gently blew on her claws again while Orchid fixed her shirt and dug into the apple.

Then the doorbell rang. Orchid eeped and jumped off the coffee table, scurrying under the couch. Kristy sat up and looked at the clock on the tv box, 7:36. "Shit, I forget." She kicked the toe separates off before standing. “Stefano, Orchid stay here, okay.” The normal sweetness in Kirsty's southern drawl was overshadowed by an undeniable authority.

 

“I will.” Stefano replied, seeing Orchid’s response of simply moving further under the couch.

Kirsty was not happy as she opened the front door, revealing the casually dressed Chad. He smirked as he spoke. “Come to your senses yet?”

 

The female bobcat just held her paw out. “Key.” She demanded. Chad snorted and pulled her house key off his key chain. After snatching it from him, Kristy growled. “Grab your bags so we can get this over with.”

“Knew I forgot something.” Chad said looking behind him as if he had ever intended to make this process easy.

“Damn it.” Kristy growled. “Come on, I got some garbage bags for your shit.” Chad smirked as he followed his ex-girlfriend inside. He stared at her rear as she grabbed a couple of large trash bags from under the sink. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed something.

Chad’s smile vanished as his head snapped up and glared at Stefano. “What are you looking at?” Stefano just continued to glare at him as he held his guitar tighter.

 

“Leave them alone.” Kristy growled slapping a couple of bags in the male's chest. “Come on!” Chad and Kristy headed to the master bedroom in the back of the house as Stefano gestured dramatically and quietly insulted Chad in Italian.

Kristy was holding back a low growl as she leaned on the golden tan wall beside the door. Chad snorted as he looked at the little bed made of his clothes. “If the rat pissed in my shirts, I'm going to punt it.” All he got from his ex was that low growl.  “You know that's how they live right? Their-”

 

“God your so fucking ignorant!” Kristy nearly shouted, a little more of her fangs now showing themselves. “Hurry up!”

 

“Whatever.” Chad said as he started to pull his clothes from the drawer dark oak dresser. Accidently knocking Orchid's neatly stacked clothes on the floor. He smiled hearing the deep breath Kristy took.

 

After emptying all the drawers of his clothes, and stuffing them in the trash bags, then added the pile of dirty clothes from next to the dresser, he looked up at Kristy. “Those are my shorts.”

 

The bobcat blinked a few times, “Seriously?”

 

“Ya.”

 

With another low growl Kirsty untied the basketball shorts and pushed them down, making sure to stand behind the wall so Stefano wouldn’t see if he headed to the bathroom. She stood and held the shorts out, not caring she was only covered by some light blue panties. Chad had seen and even touched every inch of her body why should she be modest now? “So, you want ta? For old times’ sake.” The tom said, with a sleazy smile.

 

A flash of rage crossed Kristy's face and she threw the shorts at Chad's face. “I can't believe you!”

Chad pulled the shorts from his face and growled back. “I can't believe you!” The two felines growled at each other for a moment before Chad spoke. “I mean, seriously girl, your fixing to turn thirty-one. You aren’t some fresh little party girl any more. Your damn near old and busted. Come on, you're almost old enough to be that kid’s mom. You think he wants some old maid?” Chad said as he nodded in the general direction of the living room.

 

“Shut the fuck up and get out!” Kirsty snarled back. “I never want to see you again!” The hate in her eyes cowed Chad, his ears fell forward, and he stepped back.

 

“Whatever I'm out.” The beaten bobcat snatched up his three bags of clothes and slipped past the growling female.

Stefano glared at Chad as he passed the open living room, the bobcat didn’t even look at the young fox. Chad just headed to the front door and kicked it shut behind him. Orchid’s little white wiggling nose poked out from under the couch. She sniffed a few times to make sure it was safe. Satisfied, she climbed up onto the couch expecting Kristy back at any moment as Stefano called out. “Everything alright?”

 

“Yeah.” Kirsty replied as she tried to wipe away her tears. She was leaning on the wall barely holding it together. “He's wrong, so wrong.” She whispered, with a low growl. Kristy pulled her shirt off and slapped the door closed. As she walked into the master bathroom, in nothing but her black bra and blue undies, still growling low she grabbed her makeup. A little bit of deep red lipstick and some soft purple-blue eyeshadow and some blue eye liner to make her brown eyes pop. 

With her make up done, she spritzed some Night Jasmine and Vanilla perfume on either side of her neck, under each arm and on her belly. The light scent clung to her without overpowering her own. With a flick of her clawed fingers Kristy opened her jewelry box. She grabbed a couple and hoop earrings and slipped them into the holes closest to her head. Then a chrome cat skull stud into each hole just a little farther up her ear. For the tip of her ear she added a sapphire jewel. The hole in her left ear gave her a little trouble, like always. Finally, a little chrome spike went into the whole in the middle of the top side of her ear.

The bobcat paused and looked at herself in the mirror. From her paws up to her knees and elbows was a dull orange while the rest of her had turned a more silver for winter.

Kristy mewed and tugged on her shoulder straps to lift her chest. She wasn't the most well-endowed cat, but she was far from flat. She then took a moment to pluck a few gray furs form her coat. Paying special attention to her lucky spot, a nearly perfect heart shaped spot on her right breast. She hummed then used a makeup pen to even out the dark brown outline of the marking.

Satisfied with the state of her form and make up, Kristy opened her closet and grabbed a little dusky maroon dress and some of her knee-high boots. With a wiggle and a growl, the mini spaghetti strap dress was on. It came down to the upper thigh and showed off her shoulders and chest. The fabric fluttered around her nicely but was still tight in the right places. The symbol of the bobcat's old band adorned her chest. A pendant made to look like a valentine heart in the crushing grip of metal predatory fangs.

After tucking and adjusting the dress and putting the straps back on her shoulder’s multiple times, Kristy turned and leaned on the sink, pulling the black bird leather knee high boots on. They were an open paw design letting only her paw pads and toes touch the ground. She took a moment to brush the fur around her foot and thigh before tightening the laces. 

Kristy stepped up to her full body mirror, her claws slid out of her paws as she looked herself over. She spun once and struck a classic sexy pose and gave a little growl. She nodded in approval. "Yeah, still got it." 

She returned to her bedroom to grab her small black purse. She slid her credit card and driver's license into the slots, after stuffing some lipstick, eye liner and more shadow, just in case before leaving the bedroom. 

At first Orchid had been pacing and squeaking to herself as she waited for the return of Kristy's reassuring presence. However, Stefano had taken the bobcat's answer as is and gone back to practicing, after getting warmed up and the guitar tuned, he started to play a melody he had learned long ago. The relaxing sound had gotten the chinchilla to just sit and watch the hall to the bedroom.

Stefano stopped playing when the door opened. Orchid's ears bounced at the tapping sound. Neither young mammal remembered the bobcat making a sound when she moved. The answer to why came quickly as Kristy rounded the corner in that little maroon dress and knee-high boots. All done up and ready to party. Stefano's eyes were instantly drawn to the bobcat's chest, noting that perfect heart shaped spot.

Orchid squeaked in surprise and hoped to the back of the couch. Almost as if the sight of the bobcat brought back bad memories. However, that smile Kristy gave her reminded the child of who it was. "I'll be going out for the night y'all." She grabbed her phone and showed it to Stefano. "Call if you need me." After sliding the device into her purse Kristy addressed the chinchilla. "Orchid when you get sleepy go ahead and use my bed I'll be back before morning." The young rodent nodded slowly. With that Kristy said a sweet goodbye, grabbed her keys and headed out to show the world she was still a party girl without a care in the world.

What a lie that was.

  
  



	4. Paths Entwine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we have a bit of a surprise in this chapter. Some more friends of ours have allowed us to include them in our story. Some are easily recognized others are a bit more difficult. Anyway, we're really glad to include them in this mad little world we've created and thanks again to them for allowing us to include them.

The place Frank had instructed Sam to meet him at was probably one of the largest buildings on the block. The architecture was simple yet played well into the theme of the name. The top half of the walls were plain steel painted tan the bottom half consisted of brick in a lighter color tan to contrast the top. The area around the entrance extended away from the building making a small overhang with pillars. The entire entrance was made of tan and sand colored stone. In bright neon across the center of the stone work the words Savanna Heat were spelled out in cursive. Just below it in smaller plain print blinked the words live music, a smaller marquee sign held what must be the name of the bands performing tonight. Multi colored lights across the top that shone down on the outdoor table area in front of the building where mammals mingled with their drinks and enjoyed the music being pumped outside via speakers disguised as rocks hidden in the shrubbery surrounding them. Among the shrubbery were large palm trees forming a type of fence marking where the party began and where it ended. Just outside those palms was an actual fence that showed those looking in just where that line existed.

Sam sat in his truck looking towards the entrance. A small line of mammals stood waiting to gain entrance as the bouncer checked their IDs before stamping their paw and letting them in. Sam didn't pay them much mind as he sat there waiting for his friend to arrive. He spent his time thumbing through Muzzlebook. His profile picture was old. The original he'd posted from when he'd first created an account. His friends list was small, and the number of pending notifications and friend requests were well into the hundreds each. He barely used the app except when his family pestered him about something. He spent nearly fifteen minutes like this till he finally received a text from Frank saying they'd arrived and would meet him at the entrance.

He stepped out of his truck and locked the doors before walking towards the entrance. As he walked, he scanned the cars around him, wondering if he'd see that little red sports car again. He kept looking till he made it to where the fence turned towards the entrance and waited there for his friend to find him. He'd seen plenty of red cars and a couple of sports cars but none matching the one he'd seen the last couple of days. He felt slightly disappointed, He'd seen the car three times in one day. Two of those times were followed by seeing Kristy. He reminded himself that twice was a coincidence and three times is a pattern. Standing to the side of the walkway leading to the entrance he looked around for Frank. Still no sign of him or whoever he was going to bring with him. Disappointment gave way to irritation as he checked the watch on his wrist. Realizing the battery was dead and he only wore it to seem somewhat fashionable, he stuck his paws in his pockets and went back to looking for his friend. It was about this time that he noticed a group of college age girls standing on the other side of the walkway. They were all giggling and whispering to one another, frequently glancing his way.

"Like a sore thumb." He thought gloomily, just as he was considering leaving-

"There you are!" Sam's back was suddenly slapped by a wolf paw, sending him forward a couple of steps. He scowled at Frank for the impromptu push then looked at the mammals who he'd brought with him as Frank made introductions.

"Sam meet Sean and Hamilton aka Hammy." Hammy was a short cheetah with brown eyes and typical cheetah spots. Sean was a hare that was nearly as tall as Sam with light brown fur and a sandy colored underbelly that came up his throat to this chin with brown eyes a couple of shades darker than his fur. Sam shook both mammals' paws and they exchanged short hellos before turning to enter the club. As they rounded the corner Sam could hear the girls giggling and whispering again. A frown started to pull at his muzzle till he felt someone elbowing him. He looked over to see Sean smirking up at him.

"Play your cards right foxy and you could take one or more of them home with you." He nodded his head slightly in the direction of the college girls. Sam looked confused for a moment as he glanced back at the group of girls who were now just out of sight. "They were talking about taking you back to their sorority house." The hare clarified as he ran a paw up one of his long ears. "Not just for show you know."

Sam didn't have time to really contemplate the meaning of the hare's word as a firm voice stopped him in his tracks. If he had to describe the tone, it would be the odd calm one feels just before going to battle.

"IDs." He turned ahead to see a coyote with a red facial tattoo wearing a black security shirt and fitted jeans holding his paw out. Sam pulled his ID out and passed it over. It was scrutinized for a second before being passed back and he received a stamp on his paw. The door to the club was now open.

The main floor was open and spacious, tables of various sizes dotted the floor leaving an open area in front of a stage for a dance floor, which in fact took up close to a third of the main floor if not more. On the stage was a local band playing a good cover of a Best of You by Fur Fighters. A paw full of pillars held up a large second floor balcony. A few of the pillars had spiral staircases that led up to a second-floor area. A sign saying game room pointed upward.

On the far side from the door was a long bar with three bartenders catering to the demands of the patrons. Behind them the various bottles of liquor formed a kind of mountain scape in front of a mirror etched with a classic savannah scene of animals of all types gathered at a watering hole.

The smell of alcohol and air freshener permeated everything, it wasn't altogether unpleasant save for the slight burn in the back of the most sensitive noses. The aroma of simple but well-made bar food wafted through the air. It was all fried and probably tasty, anything to keep the college kids in and paying. Under all the strong scents were more subtle ones. Perfume, cologne, musk, heat and need. However again it wasn't unpleasant, in some it could enhance the night, awakening long dead instincts.

It did, from time to time, cause problems but that's why the best of places like this always had good security. Which this place had in spades. Every security guard was a build athletic mammal, just like the coyote at the door, who passed Sam, Sean, Frank and Hammy on his way somewhere else. Sam's military trained eyes picked out that the coyote was armed. Not with a gun or a knife but a folding tomahawk.

"Is that really necessary?" Sam thought to himself. Hammy, the cheetah, stepped next to him as the group made their way towards an empty table that would accommodate their size differences.

"You from around here?" He asked.

"No." Sam replied over the sound of the music. "Grew up south of here, on the other side of the Applelachian mountains. You?"

"No, I'm from Zootopia." The cheetah answered.

"What brings you out here?" He asked as they took their seats. Sean and Frank were trying to wave down a thomson's gazelle waitress that was passing by a couple tables over.

"I'm a photographer, got booked for a wedding that took place on the college ball field." Before Sam could say anything else the waitress walked up to their table and took their drink orders, giving Sam a strange look after hearing his order for a soda. Once she'd left the group continued to converse amongst themselves and getting to know one another. Hammy being there for work, Sean drove a truck for a living and was in town to make a delivery but wouldn't be able to leave for a couple of days until his return load was ready. Frank lived in town and worked at one of the pharmacies as a tech while studying to be a licensed pharmacist. Sam explained that he lived in town as well and said he worked for an IT company. Leaving out that he owned the business.

When the waitress returned with their drinks, they all ordered a round of hot wings, Sean ordering spiced celery sticks. The group continued to get to know each other till their food arrived. The table became quiet as they simply enjoyed the flavors and music. With their bellies full and drinks working their magic, on three of them at least, they decided to look for something fun to do. After hearing the crash of pool balls when the band was taking a break, Hammy, now on his second daiquiri, suggested a round of pool.

"Yeah that sounds fun!" Said an enthusiastic Sean. Hammy left to head up stairs and grab a table for them, Sean and Frank waited to order more drinks and let the waitress know they were moving up stairs. Sam went to answer nature's call, saying he'd meet them up there. As the gray fox picked his way to the restroom at the far end of the table area, he was disappointed to see a long line. He looked around to see if there was a second and almost gave up when he spotted a door to the side of the stage with a small restroom sign above it. He made his way past the dance floor and stage. Nearly needing to cover his ears as he passed the band.

Once he was past the threshold the sound suddenly deadened to a dull rumble in the background. The relief his ears felt was suddenly interrupted by the sound of moaning coming from one of the doors in the hallway. It was nearly half opened with a sign that read employees only. He glanced through while passing by. The coyote security guard was there, pinned to the wall by a skunkette. Her eyes closed tight as she kissed him. The coyote held her rump tight, almost tearing the black capris with his claws, a white gold wedding ring glinting on his finger. She held his shirt with her paws, pulling herself upward as she stood on her tiptoes to reach her partner's lips.

Sam was nearly past them when the skunkette's golden eyes opened. Seeing the fox, passing by sent a shiver from her ears, jiggling her sparkling earrings, to the tip of her massively fluffy tail. She pushed off the security guard slamming him into the wall a little. Sam was trained to absorb every little detail in a short amount of time. It was still a wonder he noticed the little bump in the skunkette's belly before they were out of sight. It was odd for a girl who seemed to be in shape.

"Sorry, Kno, customer saw." Sam heard the skunkette say as he entered the male's room. Her tone sounded apologetic and authoritative at the same time, made him wonder if she was in charge.

After finishing and washing his paws, he made his way back out. Noticing the door, the skunk and coyote were in, was now closed. As he exited the hallway, he glanced around to regain his bearings. He noticed the skunkette was now in the backstage area giving directions to a couple of the crew while the coyote was making his way back to the front door. He smirked as he wondered if walking in on mammals going at it was going to be a norm for him now.

Ascending the nearest staircase to the second floor, he found dining tables lined along the railing to allow patrons to enjoy the band and even look down upon the crowd. There were even security guards, a fox on his side and a warthog on the other, looking down on the dance floor keeping an eye out. Behind two rows of dining tables was a gap to allow the waiters to travel back and forth from the smaller bar on this floor with ease. On the side he'd entered was a line of pool tables with stools and a shelf along the wall to place drinks while the patrons played pool. The other half of the floor was walled off with a single glass door that read Arcade. Spotting his group, he made his way over. Sean was racking the balls, a comical sight as he could barely reach the point they needed to be. Frank looked him over as he approached.

"What's so funny?" The wolf asked. Sam snorted.

"Pretty sure I just saw the manager getting frisky with one of the security guards." He said with a big grin.

"Oh, is that all? Thought you might have run into what's her name with that goofy grin."

Hammy had scanned around and noticed a security guard near the back guarding a door with Private stenciled across it. "I got a hunch the friskiness has continued behind that door he's guarding, heh heh." Everyone snickered before Sean brought everyone's attention back to Sam.

"Who's what's her name?" He asked, before he could reply, Frank answered for him.

"Oh, just some bobcat our friend here has the hots for." Sam frowned.

"Her name is Kristy and I don't have the "hots" for her." He made air quotes around the word hots and then folded his arms across his chest, giving the wolf a glare.

"Care to bet on it?" Frank said with a smirk.

"Fine," Sam replied with a scowl and pointed at the pool table, "if I win you shut your muzzle."

Frank's smirk broadened into a grin. "And if I win you admit you have feelings for miss kitty." He reached his paw out to shake on it. Sam shook the wolf's paw then went to find a pool stick. To split the size difference and give Sam and Frank a way to compete. Sean joined the wolf and Hammy went with Sam. The game started in Sam's favor as he broke and sank the lucky thirteen ball.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Harestorm and Glidleaf blasted from the speakers in Kristy's car. She tore down the road taking turns fast and reckless, singing along as she focused on keeping her car in line. Then as her destination came into view, her song came through the speakers. Not with her voice or played by her band. It hurt as much as it made her proud.

Regardless, she didn't get to finish the song. She pulled into a parking space, killed the engine, and checked her makeup. With a satisfied smile she stepped out of her car, pulled her spaghetti strap back up her shoulder and headed to the entrance. While Savannah Heat may look a little light on activity on the outside, with only the small quiet smoking area out front, Kristy knew it had energy on the inside.

Smirking as she skipped the line, her dress fluttering around her legs as she walked straight up to the coyote with smiled. "Howdy Kno, how's it going?" She ignored the protest and literal cat calls of the mammals in line.

The coyote head of security looked up from the fake ID in his paws. "Hey Kristy, just a sec." He easily tore the card in half and grabbed the young wolf and his friends out of the line without even looking.

"Better luck next time boys." Kristy giggled and winked at them as they left.

Kno looked over at the lone bobcat in the short maroon spaghetti dress, knee high boots, and make up, he could tell she was on the prowl. "How's it going Kit-Kat?"

"Been better." The bobcat said holding up her paw to be stamped. After the coyote applied the ink, Kristy grabbed his forearm, his muscles feeling like steel bands. "If you see Chad, you know what to do." She gave him a fanged one-sided grin.

"Gotcha." The coyote said, returning the smile. Kristy just about pranced inside as a few of the mammals in line complained. Kno just looked at them dismissively and continued letting mammals in at his own pace.

Kristy smiled as she scanned the bar. It was active, but not too wild, just the right energy. Mammals moved and moshed to the music from the band, which was pretty good for a college band. Her broad nose flared as she took in the aroma of alcohol and mammals intermingling, bringing back memories of her past life. It had been the world she lived in for over ten years.

Sometimes she missed it.

She smiled as she made her way over to the bar. She hopped up and leaned over the wooden surface, her chest almost being pressed out of her dress as a few patrons behind her got a peek up her skirt as she felt around under the bar with her purse.

Just as expected, she found the small plastic basket where the bartenders and waitresses kept their own belongings. As she was slipping her own among them, a paw grabbed her wrist. "What do you think yo-" The badger bartender stopped when Kristy's head came up too glare at him. "Oh! Hey Kristy." The badger released her arm. "Didn't know it was you." He said apologetically.

"It's cool Jak." She said with a smile.

"So what's up."

Kristy plopped down to the floor again and fixed her shoulder strap. "Been better." She smirked and added. "I'm on the prowl again so could use a little courage."

"On it." The badger smirked and turned to the cabinet of drinks along the wall.

While she waited, she noticed she was being watched by a few of the college kids who were just barely old enough to be here. Too young for her but that didn't mean she couldn't have fun with them.

After setting a thin lime wedge on the bar, Jak asked for her "Paw" holding up a salt shaker. Kristy smirked while working her tongue in her mouth for a moment before licking her left palm pad. She then held it out for Jak to pour powdered salt onto her palm.

A moment later, he set a bobcat sized shot on the bar. Kristy picked it up and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She smiled, seeing the same sexy feline she'd always seen. Then she looked at the etchings. It wasn't long before she found the one she was looking for. In the lower corner on the right side was a fox behind a small flat rock her paws raised to the sky. In front of the rock was a cute opossum in mid stomp dance. Above the rock and the fox was a bobcat and skunk frozen in mid jump. A stylized recreation of the first and only album Kristy's old band ever made. They had plans for more, but it never happened.

Kristy closed her eyes and bowed her head. She lifted the shot to her past. Then, with a thrilled purr, she licked the salt from her paw and downed the shot. It burned in that expensive tequila way. She set the glass down and plucked the lime from the bar before placing it in her maw. Her teeth sliced through the fruit flesh releasing the relieving juices.

She giggled and purred as she pulled off the rhine. As she chewed the lime, she noticed the same college kids still staring at her, their muzzles hanging open.

Kristy giggled and looked toward Jak. "Hey Jak, toss me a cherry." While the badger continued to make another drink, he tossed a bright red cocktail cherry with his free paw. She caught the small fruit and popped it into her mouth, stem and all. With the kids still watching, she chewed and worked the treat in her mouth. With a giggle, she pulled the stim from her mouth with her dark blue claws. Using only her tongue, she'd worked it into two nice little knots in it and almost a third. She held it up and smirked at the stunned boys before setting it on the rim of her glass.

"Hey Jak, where's Roxxie?" She asked, as she turned back towards the bar.

Jak looked at his watch and then glanced around. "If she's not backstage with the next band, she'll be in the office."

Backstage, the skunkette in question was talking with a band of wolves. She was making sure the young mammals knew the rules, which were fairly light and routine. They boiled down to don't start anything, fights or the other F word as she put it. She was about to reiterate that genitalia was to stay in their clothing when she heard the door open behind her. She looked back to see who it was, worried there was a problem, but then the skunk's eyes brightened as she smiled.

"Kristy! What are you doing here?"

"On the hunt." Kristy replied pulling the skunk into a hug, the five wolves looked at each other awkwardly. They didn't know what to do now that they were being ignored.

"Oh, didn't work out with Chad?" Roxxie asked. She had always been a bit suspicious of the tom, especially when he turned down an offer to work in Savanna Heat's kitchen.

Kristy growled a little and rubbed her cheek. "Not really." She then smiled at her longtime friend and bandmate. "Mind if I use the stage? Need to set some bait."

Roxxie giggled and nodded. "Sure, never liked to get in the way of a girl on the hunt. The boys up on stage should be fine with it."

"Oh Roxxie, if Kno was here I'd kiss you." Kristy said with a giggle. Her tail wiggling, causing her dress to flutter behind her as she walked to the curtain.

"What's stopping ya?"

"It's more fun to watch your husband squirm."

Roxxie nodded and rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, but it's not hard to do."

"You know it." Kristy laughed as she looked out the curtain.

Roxxie shook her head then looked at the wolves. "What are y'all lookin at?"

Kristy hid just out of sight of the crowd waiting for the right moment. Just as the song ended, she pounced. She stepped out onto the stage and placed a paw on the drummer's shoulder. The white tail deer honked in fright and jumped a little. He had been watching the singer, waiting for his que to start the last song. The singer, a fox, who also played lead guitar, was busy thanking the crowd for being so good to them that night when he turned to see what the commotion behind him was. Kristy smiled as she walked over to the mic. The bassist and rhythm guitarist, both hyenas, stared at the attractive feline as she smirked at the singer. She leaned on his chest with hers before slipping his guitar off his shoulders. "I need to borrow this." The fox nodded and stepped back.

Kristy covered the mic and looked at the rest of the band. "Y'all know 'Free from You'?" They nodded as she smiled. "Thanks guys." The feline looked at the crowd and uncovered the mic. "How y'all doing tonight?!"

The pool game had become intensely competitive. Both Frank and Sam were desperate to win while Sean and Hammy were enjoying the close game. At each turn at least one ball was sunk, or a shot was strategically made to give the next shooter a hard shot. Finally, after sinking the last stripe ball, Sam was left with a nearly straight shot for the eight ball into the corner pocket. Frank and Sean were on either side of him doing their level best to distract the fox from his task. He lined up for his shot and completely tuned out the taunting from his friends. Just as he went to strike the cue ball, his shot went low, knocking the white ball over the eight and straight into the pocket behind it. Frank and Sean were celebrating with hoots and hollers while Hammy was looking on in shock as his jaw hung open. Sam, however, didn't notice. His head was turned towards the balcony with his eyes wide and ears forward, picking up every word coming from the mammal speaking.

Kristy giggled at the cheered response for a moment. "Well I want to join, and after a break up like I just had there's only one way to do that."

At the pool table, Sean, Frank and Hammy were all calling after Sam as he nearly ran to the balcony railing. Squeezing between two other mammals, he looked down at the stage to see a very familiar bobcat in an outfit that had his jaw dropping and drool starting to form.

Time froze as Kristy looked out at the crowd. Memories flowed through her mind of the few stadium shows she had played. The crowds were massive, not just in numbers but size. She remembered being on stage for audiences that would tower over her. Her smile grew as she stomped her heel to the coming rhythm. The drums soon took over adding flourishes to the basic rock beat. The start of the song she wrote, with a lot of help from her friends.

The one that should have made them stars not continue another's rise.

The drummer slammed the symbols and both guitars and the bass screamed to life. Kristy ran through her favorite little extra flourishes she liked to do before she had to sing. The fox singer, not wanting to be left out, danced around the stage hyping the crowd. Soon enough, the bobcat stepped up to the mic her fingers dancing on the strings as she growled the first verse.

He came waltzing into my life

I thought he would be my only light

I said that I only wanted you

He said that he'd always be true

Then he went and broke my heart

My life had fallen apart

My eyes stung with unshed tears

But my heart had lost all fear

Images of the latest tom danced in the feline's mind, pain and anger built up in her chest. Reaching its peak as the last note hung like it should, good, she thought, these boys know the song. Kristy threw the guitar behind her, the strap holding it to her back. As she grabbed the mic, digging her claws into the plastic casing, she released the built-up emotion as she belted out the chorus like only a bobcat could.

Now I'm free, now I'm free

You're not there to hold me down

I can finally get off the ground

I'm moving on to my next adventure

Flying high with clouds to capture

No one left to cage my heart

I'm free to find where I start

Cause Now I'm free

As the chorus gave way to the bridge, Kristy let herself go with the music dancing around stage, shaking her hips like a popstar. Like the song said, she was free. She didn't care that the cheering crowd got a glimpse of light blue fabric and soft creamy fur or that her right spaghetti strap had fallen, letting the dress slip down a little. She swung the guitar back in front and started to play as she sang, her voice much more of a purr.

I feel the air under my wings

And every breath makes my voice sing

It's raining down all around me

To wash the pain so I can see

My future's bright free and fancy

Your storming clouds cannot hide me

I'm headed straight for the edge

I'm gonna jump this I pledge

The crowd was into the energy, like always. Kristy was free, her life was hers, she didn't have to worry about anyone else. Then Orchid's smile and needing eyes flashed through her mind. Without missing a beat, she shook the thought away only for Stefano's teary smile as he held the new guitar to cross her mind. Kristy focused and smiled as the song paused again for a beat, just long enough for the cat's lip to quiver.

Now I'm free, now I'm free

You're not there to hold me down

I can finally get off the ground

I'm moving on to my next adventure

Flying high with clouds to capture

No one left to cage my heart

I'm free to find where I start

Cause Now I'm free

Kristy drug out the last word before her lead break. She smirked as she heard the hyena guitarist start his own. She looked over at him and started the simple flirty solo. She giggled and bounced around a little till she tried the old move of kneeling down to flirt with a mammal in the front row.

But she couldn't.

Her knees wouldn't bend like they use too. That hit her like a freight train.

Sam had been watching Kristy throughout the performance, he couldn't believe how hot she looked up on stage. She seemed so happy and carefree while playing and singing. The sight of her dancing and enjoying herself brought a smile to his muzzle as his tail started to slowly wag behind him. But now something had changed. As Kristy played the solo, she looked… different. She still played and moved around on stage, but the energy seemed to be gone. The stage was too far away for him to see the tears welling in her eyes, but Kristy's demeanor changed from the energetic kitten she was a second ago to the subdued cat he'd met the other day. Something wasn't right as his smile began to droop to a frown.

Kristy's vision blurred, the image of Stefano and Orchid needing her hit her like a rhino boxer. The solo became simpler as her make up ran. Only years of playing through hangovers, drug fueled hazes and even a broken leg kept her fingers moving. She stepped up to the microphone again. The realization that she couldn't just be a party girl like she used to be, that she had to be home every night, to be at work every day, because she had to feed the youngsters in her house, that Orchid and Stefano needed her more than she needed some random hookup, those realizations did something horrible.

They stole her voice.

The bobcat couldn't even get the words out, the song faltered and the crowd once so into the song started to notice the problem. The lovely bobcat was in tears barely holding it together enough to keep the music going. The fox starred, unsure if he should sing the song, however, it was Roxxie to the rescue, like it had been many times in Kristy's life.

Roxxie rushed from the curtain signaling for the confused band to keep it going. Roxxie jumped and plucked the mic from the stand and waited for the que and sang the final verse. Her voice a little out of practice for singing in Kristy's key.

You'll look back and you'll remember me

Regret the pain that you left with me

But I won't even know your name

I've moved on and he's not the same

He treats me like I deserve to be

Carrie's me so that I can see

Everything that I could ask for

He gives me and he gives me more

As Kristy faded to the back of the stage and out of the light as Roxxie took over. The skunkette's ears were red and her face was hot while she sang and danced, shaking her big bushy tail. The white gold wedding band sparkled in the light of the stage. Luckily, she only had to finish out the chorus and it was over, but then the lead guitar vanished from the song. Roxxie looked back to see the bobcat gone. Her eyes widened at the chorus break, Kristy had never skipped out on a song.

Now I'm free, now I'm free

You're not there to hold me down

I can finally get off the ground

I'm moving on to my next adventure

Flying high with clouds to capture

No one left to cage my heart

I'm free to find where I start

Cause Now I'm free

Now that I'm Free

The final chorus of that damn song were like daggers in Kristy's heart. She sobbed as she leaned on the wall just inside the curtain. She pulled the guitar off and set it on a stand as she stumbled past that wolf band. She ignored their questions as she ran out into the hall and to the office.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

From where he stood Sam could see Kristy moving back out of the light. The skunkette he'd seen with the coyote earlier had come rushing out as the bobcat faltered. Picking up where she'd left off in the song. After Kristy disappeared into the curtain, he continued to watch, scanning either side of the stage to try and catch sight of her. When the skunkette finished she rushed back stage after a quick bow to the crowd. That's when he spotted Kristy running out from behind the stage and into the same door, he'd used to find the restrooms. He pushed off the railing to go find her. Only to be slowed by the crowd that had gathered behind him. He pushed through the bodies of mammals, knocking a few over.

"Sam! Where are you going?!" Frank called but Sam didn't hear him. He made it to the stairs and ran down as quickly as he could. Not noticing the security guard calling over his radio. At the bottom of the stairs he walked at a brisk pace towards the doorway. Dodging mammals left and right, he didn't see the coyote stalking him on the other side of the room.

He made it to the doorway and walked through the threshold without hesitation. At first, he went to the female restroom and raised his paw to knock when the sound of sobbing from the door marked Manager made his ears twitch.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Kristy was curled up on the small couch in Roxxie's simple red walled office. The bobcat's face was pressed into a throw pillow as she cried hard. Her claws tore the fabric as two days of tears flowed.

Roxxie opened the door and stepped in her brows up and ears down. She made her way over next to the couch. "You okay, Kristy?"

"No!" The bobcat said through the pillow.

Roxxie cringed. "Want to talk about it? I've never seen you this bad after a break up?"

After a few more sniffles Kristy sat up. Roxxie held a box of tissues to her friend and sat beside her. The bobcat blew her nose and whined. "It's not that it's just... it's I..." A new round of sobs and tears over came Kristy and she fell into her friend's embrace.

"It's okay let it out." Roxxie said, her voice strained from singing and the weight of the larger mammal on her.

Kristy wept for a moment longer before leaning back to speak. "Be easier to talk over drinks." She said while fixing her shoulder straps.

Roxxie adjusted her own top as she spoke. "Well, there's a problem there." The skunk bit her lower lip with worry. "I'm pregnant."

"Oh my God, Roxxie, that's so awesome. I'm so happy for you guys." Kristy said, pulling her friend into a hug. The bobcat's eyes widened with curious joy as she leaned back again, glad for the momentary distraction. "How'd you do it? Did you use a donor or something?" She cautiously asked.

"Nope just natural." Roxxie smirked. "Doc said something about, Solar flares. I don't know, I was too busy laughing and crying." Hybrid's between species that couldn't traditionally breed did exist but were so rare that experts compared it to winning the lottery twice.

Kristy's momentarily happy smile fractured as the tears she had been trying to dry welled up again. "I'm, uh, that's kinda why I'm so shook up." Roxxie wasn't sure how to take that. "It just hit me that I'm getting older. I got no boyfriend, no prospects of a family." She sarcastically laughed at herself as tears rolled down her makeup stained cheeks. "Oh, I kind of have two kids but that's not going to last. Ones got family on the other side of the fucking world the will take him from me and the other..." She thought of Orchid and how she would eventually be taken away. "The other, well, who am I kidding, what kid wants me as a mom." She sobbed into her paws as she braced herself on her knees. Roxxie was gently rubbing her back, trying to comfort her friend.

"Did you think Kno and I ever believed we would be parents?" She said with a smile, hoping to brighten the bobcat's mood. Roxxie had met Stefano once but knew nothing about Orchid, she leaned closer, her muzzle almost touching Kristy's. "One, we need to talk more, two, girl you're still a catch. You never know what's behind the next door." Roxxie held her paw up towards the office door. A metaphor to her own words, when a knock came from the door.

0o0o0o0o0o

Sam knocked gently on the door and turned the handle, finding it unlocked, he pushed it open and stuck his muzzle through the crack.

"Kristy?" He pushed the door open further and stuck his head through. On the far wall he saw Kristy sitting on a small couch, the skunkette from earlier was sitting with her. When she saw Sam she immediately stood up and grabbed a large black 'bat'. He could just make out the words "The Enforcer" paw written on the imitation natural surface of the thing.

"You can't be here." She said with a scowl. Sam opened his mouth, a reply that he was a friend on his lips when he suddenly felt himself lifted in the air by the back of his shirt.

"I'm a-AAACCCCHHHH!" Sam's tongue stuck out from being yanked backwards as his eyes became wide as saucers. When he regained focus, he found he was at eye level with glowing turquoise eyes surrounded by red. A threatening growl reached his ears as he was held aloft by the coyote security guard. Sam felt his own lips beginning to curl up, years of training to kill or be killed until it was second nature began to come forth, mingling with a sudden urge to protect. Until another's voice reached his ears.

Kristy's ears shot up as she heard the gray fox's voice. "Sam?" She whispered, so low even Roxxie didn't hear it. She was stunned to see him here, so stunned she could only watch as Roxxie threatened him with "The Enforcer". When he suddenly disappeared behind the door with a choking sound, followed by a growl she was familiar with, she stood and stepped behind her shorter friend to see what was happening. "Hey hey! It's okay, he's a friend." The door swung open to reveal Kno was still growling with his fur standing on end, holding the shorter fox in the air by his shirt. Sam's paws were flexing, his partially retractable claws coming out as he scowled back at the coyote's turquoise eyes glowing from the reflected light of the office.

Roxxie's ears perked up and she looked between Kristy and the newcomer. Neither he nor her husband appeared to be willing to back down. "Oh my, Kno, no he's good." The skunkette tossed "The Enforcer" beside the couch. It wiggled as it bounced off the side of the couch, glitter dusting the floor where it landed. The black and white female hurried over to her tan partner and tried to pull his arm down. She squeaked feeling just how tense he was as it wouldn't budge. She reached up to his muzzle and pulled his face towards hers.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. He's Kristy's friend." Kno relaxed as his fur settled. Looking back at Sam, he lowered the fox back to the ground and placed an arm around Roxxie's shoulder, keeping himself slightly between her and Sam. Sam's eyes stayed on the coyote as he bowed his head slightly in a submissive manner. This wasn't his den after all. And the intermingling scents of male coyote and female skunk permeated the entire room.

"Sorry bout that. He can be a bit protective." Roxxie said as she stepped in front of the coyote, one paw out beside her as if to catch him should he decide to charge.

"I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have barged in uninvited." Sam said. Roxxie studied the fox for a moment as she felt Kno close behind her. His clothes were slightly dated but not unfashionable. His fur seemed groomed but a bit patchy, which could be a sign of drug use. There were white hairs in his muzzle stripe, so he was a bit older. What struck her as the oddest was the watch he wore. An old analog that wasn't moving with no other jewelry to be seen. She glanced over to see how Kristy was reacting towards him. The bobcat was smiling till she realized her makeup was streaking down her facial fur. She saw Kristy's paw go to her hip where her purse would normally be. Realizing it wasn't there the bobcat's face turned to one of dread. Was she afraid of how he'd react seeing her in such a mess? That wasn't the Kristy she remembered.

"I'll go grab your purse." She turned and pulled Kno away.

"Thanks, Roxxie." Kristy said as the skunkette and coyote were leaving. Roxxie turned to the fox as she spoke in a warning tone.

"I'll be right back." Before closing the door.

Alone in the room together, Kristy felt her ears and cheeks burn with embarrassment at the awkward meeting. She meekly waved her paw as her chin fell and she looked away, trying to hide her current state. "Hi."

Sam felt his heart rate increase at the cute display. Trying to come up with an appropriate and witty response, he opened his mouth and said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Hi."


	5. Sad Connections

Roxxie hurried to the bar where employees kept their personal belongings, ignoring the cheers from the crowd as the wolf band started playing. Other than to gladly take note that no one seemed to care about Kristy's break down. Kno was on her tail as she hopped on a stool and told a wolf bartender to grab the purse basket. While the skunk waited, she turned to her beloved coyote. "Do you recognize that fox?"

"Tonight's the first time I've seen him. He's not a regular. Why're you so worked up Roxxie?"

The bartender brought the basket to Roxxie and she thumbed through the dozen or so pocketbooks and purses till she found the one she was looking for. "This last break up hit Kristy hard. After what she's just been through, I don't want her just jumping into something with some random fox. You know?"

"Yeah." He replied, nodding in agreement.

"Do you think you could have your buddy in the police check up on him?" She pleaded her ears down and tail up.

"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem." He said with a sly grin. Kno wasn't worried, he would deal with the fox in his own way if he hurt his friend. "So, if your so worried why did you leave her in there with him."

Roxxie jumped down from the stool and looking up at Kno with her piercing gaze. "Reasons."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"I-"

"Wha-"

The two awkwardly giggled as they both tried to speak at the same moment.

"Oh, you go first." Kristy offered with a shy smile. Sam cleared his throat and nodded with a smile.

"So, um…" Sam nervously began. He'd felt so certain that he was doing the right thing by coming to check on her. That she might need him when she obviously needed someone. Who was he kitting he thought? Thinking he could be some white knight for her when she obviously had friends for that? "I saw you perform."

"Oh." Kristy said her ears and cheeks burning, she was sure Sam could see her blush. Just another embarrassment she had to add to the list. She looked away before asking. "So, um, what did you think?" She didn't know what else to say, she prayed he didn't notice her break down. Who was she kitting, of course he did.

"You were amazing…" Sam realized too late that he'd said that out loud and struggled to recover. "I mean, uh, you were really good. I liked it."

The bobcat's ears shot up, she wasn't expecting such a genuine response. Kristy thought he would lie about how good she was, but he seemed to have genuinely enjoyed it. Did he really miss her break down? Then why did he come looking for her? "Thank you." She looked away demurely. "It's been awhile since I've performed on stage." She smiled and looked back at Sam. "Glad to know I still got it. Despite, you know..." She motioned to her tear streaked face.

"Yeah, um… It's why I came here." One of Kristy's ears went sideways, and her expression changed to one of curiosity as Sam rambled on. "I mean, I wanted to talk to you regardless. Just, I saw you were having trouble and I didn't know if you were alone or not." He gestured towards the door. "Definitely didn't know you knew the manager."

"Roxxie, yeah, we go way back." The bobcat said with a slight nostalgic smile. "We were in a band together for years till-"

The door to the office opened and the skunkette in questioned walk in with the bobcat's purse in her paw. "Got your purse!" Roxxie said, almost too cheerfully as she started to push Sam out of the room. "Okay mister, give us girls some privacy." Once he was through the threshold the skunk closed the door.

Roxxie turned and looked at the Kristy. The bobcat mewed and took her purse over to the small wet bar to the left of the couch. "You didn't have to throw him out." She looked at the 'damage' in the mirror behind the bottle of Roxxie and Kno's favorite liquors.

"Didn't I?" Roxxie said walking over to watch the bobcat, her best friend of well over ten years frantically cleaning her face with a makeup pad. "Do you even know this fox?"

"Not really." Kristy answered with a shrug. "He's just a friend."

"Like,  _Chad_ , was just a friend?" Roxxie said, worried for her friend. "Or Jamie, or Anthony or Sylvester?"

Kristy looked away from the mirror as she was redoing her eye liner. "What are you talking about? Sam isn't like them." The bobcat returned to her make up.

Roxxie snorted quietly. "And you know this how?" The feline froze with the pen to her eyelid. "Kristy, I love you like my sister and I can't stand seeing you hurt. I don't like watching you jump from one guy to another, just to end up with a bunch of jerks." The bobcat mewed and rubbed her cheek. "You don't even know this guy and you're looking at him like some knight in shining armor."

"What are you talking about?" Kristy questioned taking a moment to finish her eyeliner. "Besides weren't you just telling me there was an opportunity behind every door?"

"I didn't mean to make goo-goo eyes at the next fox with ironically dramatic timing."

"I didn't make goo-goo eyes at Sam." Kristy said rolling her eyes.

Roxxie starred as Kristy reapplied her purple-blue shadow. "Really? I stood there and watched you. I even watched you look all mortified when you realized how your make-up looked. If he's just a friend, then what does it matter?"

"You're seeing things." Kristy said as she finished up her eye shadow. She started purring. "You know we cats like looking good."

"Like to-?" The skunkette stomped her foot in frustration as she growled. Her tail whipping up and down behind her. Her paws clenched into fists by her side. "You do this every time Kristy!" she yells. "You breakup with some low life just to jump into bed with another one! I thought you might have changed with what you said earlier. That maybe you'd finally decided to grow up. Well I've had it! I'm tired of bailing you out of crap that you dig yourself into." She turned away and faced the other wall, nearly in tears. "I don't want to lose you like Tea."

At the mention of their fallen drummer Kristy's ears shot up. She turned to her friend and mewed sadly. "You're not going to lose me Roxxie." The bobcat stepped over to the hormonal skunk doe. "Sam seems like the first real guy I've met in a long time, he's got a steady job and everything."

"I still want to talk to him first." Roxxie replied as her phone beeped with a text.

"Of course." Kristy answered as her friend checked her phone. "You've been looking out for me since we were in high school." She pulled the skunk into a hug. "There's no one I trust more."

A small whine escaped Roxxie's chest as she pulled away. Waving a paw to dry the tears that had started to form in her eyes, surprising Kristy.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" She asked.

"It's these stupid hormones this little parasite is giving me!" She said with a sniffle. "It's all that coyote's fault!" The skunk said fanning her teary face.

"Roxxie!" Kristy said in a scolding tone. "Don't call'em that!" Kristy grabbed the tissue box and plucked a few from it before pawing them to her friend. "Here."

"Thanks." Roxxie began to pat dry the tears as she regained control of her emotions. "I'll text babe and tell him they can come back now." She proceeded to pull her phone back out as Kristy waited anxiously.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sam stood there for a second looking at the door to the room he'd just been kicked from. A second before the large paw of a coyote slapped him on the shoulder painfully. He looked back to find the coyote with the security shirt smiling down at him with all his teeth showing.

"Come with me." Sam nodded as the coyote turned around and led him back to the bar. The security guard gestured to a stool at the end as he walked behind the bar and began to pluck a couple of glasses and a bourbon from the back wall.

As Sam sat on the stool, he chanced a glance up to the balcony. Much to his dismay, he saw Frank, Hammy and Sean all looking down at him with big grins and giving him a thumbs up. He frowned at the display before turning back to the coyote who was currently leaning on the bar with the bourbon and two shot glasses between his paws.

"Friends of yours?" He said with a grin. Gesturing towards the balcony with his snout.

"Unfortunately." Sam replied in an embarrassed tone as his eyes downcast. "Listen, I want to apologize-" He was stopped when the coyote held up a paw and cut him off.

"Save it. You're a friend of Kristy's. And any friend of Kristy's is a friend of mine." He held his paw out to Sam. "Ake'cheta Knoton. Most just call me Kno." Sam looked at the coyote's paw and then back at his face. He was smiling, but those strange turquoise eyes were hiding a secret. He cautiously took the offered paw.

"Samuel Chola." The coyote's smile broadened as they shook paws for the first time. Kno then poured a shot for both and slid one over to Sam before lifting his own.

"To friends." He held the glass up in a toast. Sam slowly lifted the glass before returning the toast.

"To friends." He watched as Knoton turned the glass up and emptied the contents. He then sat the glass back down with a satisfied sigh. Sam held the glass in front of his muzzle. The smell of fine bourbon filled his nostrils as his mouth watered for the drink. He licked his lips before setting the glass on the bar and slid it back over. "Sorry, I don't drink anymore." Knoton seemed to look disappointed before he smiled and slid the glass back over to him.

"Oh, come on. One drink never hurt anyone." His smile grew as the fox reached for the glass again, then fell as it was slid back to him.

"No, one never hurt. It's all the ones after that." Knoton took the shot glass and hid it behind the bar. Slightly disappointed this might take longer than he planned.

"Fair enough. I don't think I've seen you here before."

"I don't get out much."

This fox wasn't making this easy. He needed to loosen his tongue to get as much information as possible.

"You from here or just passing through?"

"I live just outside of town." Knoton started to notice Sam was glancing back down the hallway between questions. Those two shouldn't be much longer, he needed to slip away for a moment, so he poured Sam a glass of water and excused himself.

Sam watched as the coyote walked to the other end of the bar and disappeared into a room marked employees only. He looked up at the balcony and noticed his friends were gone. Must have gotten bored. So, he sipped his water, glancing around every now and then and waited.

In the employee's break room, Knoton pulled his phone out after closing the door. He fired off a quick text.

_**Kno: Need a favor.** _

_**The Admiral: Whatcha need?** _

_**Kno: Background check on a Samuel Chola, grey fox, lives just outside of Foxford.** _

_**The Admiral: That's a serious favor, will need compensation.** _

_**Kno: Gazelle tickets next time she's in Zootopia for you and 2 "friends"** _

_**The Admiral: Deal! Will send what I can find.** _

Knoton shook his head with a smile. That crazy Roo and his ships. He sent another text to Roxxie, letting her know he'd gotten everything he could from Sam to start the investigation. Now he just needed to wait for his skunkette to finish talking things out with Kristy.

Just as he arrived where Sam was sitting, his phone chimed. With his ears raised, he pulled the device back out and quickly read the message.

_**Rox: Bring him back.** _

Looking up, Sam was watching him with a curious expression. Which he returned with a smile.

"The girls are ready for us to come back now." The two walked from the bar and back to the manager's office, where they were halted by what they heard on the other side.

"Sit up properly you're not some porn star." The large ears of both males shot up as they listened through the door.

They then heard a giggle followed by Kristy's voice. "Okay mom."

"Don't start that."

Kno opened the door as Kristy spoke. "You started it." She was sitting on the couch fixing the straps of her dress. Sam's eyes widened seeing the bobcat done up like she had been on stage. He ignored the glimpse of something he shouldn't see, thankfully, as she quickly fixed her skirt. She smiled, her ears blushing as she spoke. "Howdy y'all." She seemed in a better mood and Roxxie were sitting on the couch with a single chair in front of them. The coyote closes the door and leans against the wall next to it. Roxxie gestures to the chair.

"Have a seat."

Sam looks to Kristy nervously before sitting in the provided chair. Roxxie sat silent for a moment as the skunkette raises an eyebrow like she was his disappointed mother. Sam involuntarily shrinks in on himself slightly, unsure of what he did wrong. The coyote by the door shivers as he shakes his head, feeling sorry for their future kit. This continued for an entire minute as even Kristy was starting to cringe in her seat next to the skunk.

"So, what's with the patches?" Roxxie said so suddenly it took Sam by surprise. But when the question sunk in, he immediately cringed. He'd been self-conscious about his condition since it started. "We know it's a sign of drug use. So, spit it out."

"What?" Sam asks confused.

"What were you shooting up? We want to know if you're still using."

"Roxxie!" Kristy tries to interrupt.

"No! We need to know." Roxxie turns back to the fox expectantly.

"I'm not a drug user." Sam shook his head.

"Then explain the patches!" She demanded. Sam released a defeated sigh, feeling embarrassed.

"When I was in the desert, it was so hot I nearly shed all my fur." Sam now felt a little annoyed at having to admit that. "It took nearly a year for my coat to grow back and my winter coat hasn't been the same since."

The other three in the room were taken back. Of all the answers they were expecting, they weren't expecting that. Kristy was the first to speak.

"Why were you in the desert?"

"I was in the army. I did two tours in Irabbiq."

"Wow." Kristy said, looking over at Roxxie, gauging her reaction. "My dad was in the Army."

Roxxie just stared at the fox, still undecided. Just because a mammal seemed good on the outside didn't mean they weren't rotten on the inside. She sighed and her features relaxed a little.

"Well we'll be keeping an eye on you. If you hurt my friend, I'll pin your tail to my wall. Got it?!"

Sam gulped. "Y-yeah, okay." Roxxie's glare never let up. Her only reaction was to nod her head, which was all the indication Kristy needed that this was over.

"Okay then!" Kristy said as she jumped up from the couch. "Well that proves he's not a psycho, nip head out for blood." The bobcat hurriedly pulled the fox from the chair and ushered him to the door, the scent of her perfume mixing with her own wafted in the air catching the fox's attention. "Everything's okay let's get out of here, Sam, so we can finally talk without interruptions." She eyed Kno as they passed the coyote by the door. The bobcat closed the door sighed and pulled her dress strap back up.

Out of the manager's office Sam looked at Kristy, a lost look on his face. "What just happened?" He asked.

"Roxxie's just… looking out for me." The bobcat sighed. "Like I said, we were in a band for like ten years." Kristy nodded her head toward the front of the building, the pair walked toward the bar. "I was like the leader while Roxxie always tried to look out for us. Kind of hard when your just as much of a party girl as the rest of your drunk and stoned friends."

As the bobcat and fox pass the stage, the band started a cover of Goatsmack's Under your Scars. A fitting song for Kristy's story. "We tried for years to hit it big. Got pretty close a few times, but then a few years ago our drummer ODed and well, the dream ended there." They found an empty booth and sat down. "Roxxie is afraid I'm going to do something similar but with males." Kristy giggled nervously and blushed unsure why she was being so open.

"Ah." A look of understanding coming over his features. "I'm sorry about your friend. I… I can understand how losing someone close to you can change your life." He stared at the table as he spoke. Not wanting her to see the pain in his eyes. Fortunately, a waitress chose that moment to walk up.

"Can I get you two anything?"

Kristy's eyes lingered on Sam for a moment before she looked up at the deer doe. "Hey Stacey, could I get a rum and coke?" The feline looked back to Sam with a friendly smile wondering what he drinks, eager to learn a little more about the knight in patchy gray fur.

"Sure thing Kristy, you were great by the way." The doe touched the feline's shoulder in a friendly gesture before looking at the fox. Kristy quietly thanked the deer.

"Just a soda please and put it all on my tab." Sam gestured to Kristy, indicating her order as well.

Stacy looked confused for a moment then looked at the bobcat. "Don't worry about it Sam." Kristy giggled. "One of the perks of knowing the owner so well." Before the fox could feel bad, he noticed the sparkle of appreciation in her eyes. The gesture had the same effect even without the follow through. Sam smiled at Kristy as the waitress walked away.

"Well, at least my wallet is grateful." He joked.

Kristy nodded. "I bet." She giggled. "But don't expect it if we go out to dinner." Smiling slyly at the fox the bobcat fluttered her eyelashes with her ears pointed at him.

"Oh? I just happen to know this place with really great hot wings." He returned the sly smile.

The feline relaxed as she replied, "Well what girl could say no to hot wings." She giggled and nodded. "So… I shared, I think it's your turn. What did you do in the army?"

"Well, when I first signed up, I did stuff with explosives and landmines. You know, real cold war type stuff. Then after my first tour I changed over to communications. That's how I got into what I do now."

Kristy's mouth fell open for a moment. "You were in the signal core? So was my dad." She giggled as Stacy the doe set their drinks in front of them. After thanking her Kristy continued. "He retired when I was in High school." She looked at the fox gauging his age. "You were probably in basic then."

"Yeah, about…" Same looked to the side for a moment as he calculated the time in his head. "Wow, 16 years ago." He slowly twirled the glass around on the table. A nostalgic smile across his lips.

Kristy nodded running her claw around the rim of her glass. "No way, I couldn't do anything like that." She giggled, "but all three of my siblings did." The bobcat shook her head, "so was that all you did?" Sam shrugged.

"Mostly, I was only in for six years. Got out and went to college. Graduated and started working on Retrans Networks." He purposefully left out certain things he wasn't ready to reveal yet. As vague as he was being it was easy to tell he wasn't sharing everything.

Kristy nodded sipping her drink through the straw. "Doesn't leave much time for romance does it." She nodded smiling warmly, "I kind of know what that's like, not that I had a shortage lovers just little romance." She bit her lip as her ears presses to the back of her head. Realizing what she just said to someone she was trying to seem attractive to.

Sam couldn't help the small snort of laughter that came out. He also couldn't help the little tease that followed.

"Well, weren't you the promiscuous one." He smirked.

Kristy's blushing red ears shot up. "Hey, Hey I was just a dumb kid living like a rock star." Her voice sounded more offended then she truly was. She smirked and sipped her drink.

"Oh, I'm sure you were rocking alright. Rocking someone's world." His grin grew the more he could see her blush.

Not one to just let playful jabs go unanswered, Kristy giggled, pinned her ears back and wiggled her eyebrows. "I'll rock your world, if you let me." Sam's eyes went wide as his smirk grew a fraction, the tip of his tail thumping lightly against the seat.

Kristy's ears jumped up hearing a familiar song starting. It was a metal cover of the pop song Bad Touch. "Come on!" She took a last swig of her drink, leaving about a fourth of it as she stood, holding out a paw to the gray fox, bouncing a little to the beat.

A little hesitantly, Sam reached out and took the offered paw. "I'm not a-" As soon as his paw was in hers, he was pulled from his seat and onto the dance floor. Cutting off his explanation of not being much of a dancer. He wasn't much for words anyway, once he felt her fur mingling with his own.

The song proper had started by the time Kristy had pulled Sam into a good spot on the dance floor. The bobcat swayed, shook and bounced to the music smiling coyly as she leaned close and gently ran her claws up the gray fox's jean covered thighs at the mention of putting paws down pants.

Sam simply tried to keep up as he moved about awkwardly. When Kristy suddenly stepped in close and he felt her claws running up his thighs his body visibly shuddered under her touch. He knew instantly that his scent would betray him as his arousal grew.

The bobcat's nose flared as the thrashing chorus started, bouncing just an arms distance away. Kristy's paws holding his as she got Sam to bounce and head bang to the beat. Like them, the mammals around the pair got into the music more and started bumping into others. Before Sam could get to upset by it, Kristy laughed and bumped hips with a young she-wolf. Showing it was all part of the fun.

The hard chorus gave way to a lighter rhythm as the young she-wolf hip bumped Kristy back. The bobcat laughed and spun both herself and Sam out of the pit and into calmer waters so to speak. The bobcat smirked as she held the fox's paws and looked into his eyes. She smiled more and twisted as she stepped closer so she could dance with her back pressed against Sam.

Sam had seen mosh pits before but had never participated in one. The experience was a bit much for him. Seeing Kristy smile as they bounced to the music made any discomfort worth it though. When she pulled him from the center of the floor and off to the side, he thought maybe she'd had enough. Instead, he was surprised once more when she twirled in his arms and leaned back into his chest, his paws resting on her hips on reflex as they swayed to the music. His longer muzzle stretched over her shoulder and would occasionally brush against her cheek. Her pleasant scent, overwhelming the others around them.

The bobcat purred her eye closed mind focused on her swaying, how Sam's paws felt on her body, and just how hot she felt. Gone were the thoughts of inadequacy. She was a fine little single mother, and no one would tell her otherwise, if things went right, she wouldn't be single ether. Letting the harder music take her again the bobcat pulled away from the fox.

She wasn't leaving him behind but was showing off for him. Dancing and spinning like a ballerina all too the music. Kristy wasn't as limber or skilled as she used to be, she was well out of practice after all, but she was having fun. she might regret it tomorrow but that was a problem for later. As she paused to fix her dress so not to be revealing too much, she glanced at Sam to see his reaction.

When Kristy pulled away, he wasn't sure what would happen next. He expected her to turn and start dancing with him again. Instead, she began to dance on her own in front of him. At first, he felt a little awkward, he could follow someone else and half know what he was doing but watching her rooted him to where he was standing. His eyes began roaming over her body and she swayed and twirled with the music. The more he watched the faster his heart began to race. Then she stopped and looked to him. His eyes became fixed to hers.

Kirsty had danced through the solo there had been a time when she would have dropped everything to watch another guitarist play, maybe pick up a new thing from them, and as good as the wolf on lead was, she didn't care. She wanted to make sure Sam was having a good time with her. The final chorus started and while the singer was going full into the monster vocals, Sam barely heard it. His foxy ears were focused on her voice as she approached. Singing the chorus in more of a sensual purr. Licking her lips lightly as she slid her paws up Sam's arms to his shoulders. As the song finished, she moved to bring her lips to his.

Sam's ears strained as they listened to every word coming from her lips. Her paws resting on his shoulders as she slowly pulled them together. Her scent filled his nostrils as he lost himself in her eyes. Only for those brown eyes to be replaced by another's.

Sam quickly grabbed her waist and pushed back slightly. Hurt filling his eyes as he spoke.

"Wait." He looked into her eyes a moment longer. "I need to tell you something."

Kristy's ears fell, her own eyes now filled with worry. "Sorry, what is it?" The bobcat trembled, her ego glass once again.

Sam quickly looked around, he didn't want to be in the middle of the dance floor discussing this. He needed somewhere private but wasn't sure if Kristy would follow him outside. The booth also felt to open. "Is there somewhere we can talk? Somewhere private?"

The worried bobcat nodded. "Yeah, I'm... I think we can use Roxxie's office." She hoped her friend would let them have it. She didn't know what Sam had to tell her, but it looked painful.

Sam only nodded as he took her paw in his and lead them back to the office they'd been in earlier. This was something he'd put off for far too long. Something he needed to finally admit before he could move on.

The door was still unlocked when Sam went to knock. Kristy simply reached for the handle and turned the knob to open it, rushing in past Sam. Inside, they heard the quiet sobs of the skunkette. She was on the couch across from the door her big fluffy tail wrapped around her and Kno as he held her. The coyote looked up from holding his wife. The sympathetic look in his eyes told Sam that he knew his secret.

**Earlier**

Roxxie huffed when the door closed behind Kristy and the fox. So, he probably wasn't a drug user, that didn't mean he wouldn't hurt her friend. She looked at her lover to find him looking back at her.

"I still think he's hiding something." The coyote nodded in agreement. "Did you learn anything about him?"

"He has a drinking problem for sure." Roxxie's ears went up on alert. "He seems to be recovering or trying to, he-"

_**Ding** _

Kno was interrupted by the sound of his phone alerting him of a text message. Glancing down, he saw the message he'd been waiting for.

**The Admiral: Faxing what I found. Will send info on the wife once I've found everything.**

The fax machine on the desk began printing out documents as he read the message. He looked up from his phone, a smirk big enough to show his teeth.

"Looks like we found our smoking gun." Roxxie was already looking over the papers printed out. "The Roo says he has a wife." Roxxie looked up with her jaw hanging open.

"You're kitting!" She exclaimed. He shook his head as she looked back at the papers in her paws.

"Sam Chola, grey fox, age 34, born in blah blah blah…" Roxxie skipped over the profile information as she scanned for any criminal information.

"Military service, six years, two tours overseas, decorations for valor. Seems he wasn't lying about the patches at least." Kno read from the sheet he'd picked up.

"Here!" She said, pointing at a section on the paper. "Arrested for drunk and disorderly, damage to private property, assault but… No jail time?" She read further. "Arrested fifteen times in a one-year period! Then… Nothing. It's like no one did anything to him. He got away scot free?!" She turned to the next page, the fax machine began printing more papers as Kno's phone dinged again. He reached down and grabbed the new papers.

"Here! Married at the age of 19 to a Victoria Grace Chola." She scanned over the rest of the information provided. College transcripts, graduating with honors, applications for business license but nothing damning that she cared about.

"Roxxie." Her ear twitched when she heard her love's voice in a sad tone. Her ears pinned back when she saw his expression to match. "I know why he started drinking."

**Present**

Kristy is immediately concerned for her friend when she finds her curled up in her husband's arms softly crying.

"Roxxie?! What wrong?" She asked, quickly walking towards her friends. Only for the skunk to jump off the couch and run past her, straight into Sam and wrap him in a crushing hug as his arms went wide and he looked down at her in confusion as her tears soaked his shirt. Kristy's ears shot up as a pang of jealousy ran through the feline.

"Um…" The fox looked up at Kristy and then Kno, unsure of what to do, when the coyote stood to address him.

"I think we all need to talk." In his paws he held a stack of papers. Roxxie slowly pulled away and walked back to sit by her husband. Her eyes downcast as her tail wrapped around him.

Kristy blinked looking back and forth between her old friends and possible new boyfriend. "What's going on?" The feline asked. Did this have to do with what Sam wanted to talk about, why would Roxxie be crying about it. The bobcat's tail bushed out under her skirt while her ears fell.

"Sam, please understand, we were only trying to look out for Kristy. She does have a history of choosing the biggest losers." Kno said.

"Thanks, y'all." Kristy snorted as she looked away.

Roxxie gave Kristy a pointed look. "You know it's true Kristy." The bobcat didn't want to admit her friends were right. Kno let out an exasperated sigh as he looked to Roxxie.

"I think we need to go down the list." He then gave Kristy a sympathetic look. Sam seemed confused about what was happening now. The bobcat mewed and looked back at Sam then Kno. She sat on the edge of the desk, crossed her arms and motioned for them to talk. She was angry, confused and just not sure what to say. Kristy hated being out of the loop.

Roxxie sat up and placed her paws on her knees before releasing a sigh. "Let's start from the beginning. Silvester."

The bobcat sighed. "I got it okay, don't need to bore Sam with stories of the lazy slob, the cheater and all the other jerks that wanted me for one reason or another." Kristy growled lightly. "I want to know what's going on with Sam." She looked at the fox her face a combination of anger and worry.

Sam's ears pinned back as the attention was once again on him and Kristy seemed mad at him for some reason. "So, she hasn't had the best of luck with guys. What does that have to do with me?" He looked at the coyote and skunk. Kno stood and gave him the papers. Sam scanned the top page before his brow was knitted with a scowl. "You had a background check done on me?"

A short growl rolled from Kristy, her head and ears falling. She covered her face with a paw as she mumbled. "You got to be fucking kitting me!"

The fox looked through the rest of the pages quickly, stopping when he came to the last page. His lips pulled up in a snarl as he growled out the words. "And my wife!"

The bobcat's ears shot up. Her brown eyes were as wide as plates as she looked at Sam. "Your married?!" Kristy's heart hurt, she felt like she was about to cry. Who had she pissed off to have such a broken love life?

Kno raised his paws in a placating manor. "We were only trying to look after Kristy."

"Yeah, me I get! But you drag my dead wife into this?!" He screamed at the coyote. Roxxie almost sank into herself hiding behind her tail.

Kristy was frozen for a moment. She slowly looked up at the angry gray fox. New tears in her eyes, these not for herself but Sam. The bobcat pushed herself off the desk, her ears low, she stepped in front of Sam. Cutting off the sight of the fox's anger. Kristy wanted to hold him, even reach out for him but unsure if he would let her, she pulled her paws back to her chest.

Sam looked a Kristy with anger that faded to sadness before he looked away. "This isn't how I wanted to tell you." He said softly.

Roxxie stood from the couch to stand beside her husband. "Sam, I'm truly sorry. We'll leave you two alone for a bit." She grabbed the coyote's paw and together they walked out of the room.

Kristy looked over at the pair and nodded, "thanks y'all." The bobcat turned back to Sam her sad brown eyes sparkling with emotions barely held in check. Sam was about to say something else when the bobcat launched herself at him. Wrapping the gray fox in a much-needed hug. She purred comfortingly as she nuzzled his neck, her warm tears soaking into his fur. "It's okay, you don't have to be sorry."

Sam's body became stiff in her embrace. It'd been so long since he'd felt contact of this nature, his body was unsure of how to react. Tentatively, his free arm wrapped around her frame to rest at the small of her back, his muzzle resting beside her ear. They stayed that way for a moment or two before Sam looked at the papers he was still holding. With a sigh, he finally broke the silence.

"Well, we might as well put your friend's effort to good use."

The feline slowly leaned away from Sam and mewed as she looked at the pages. She blinked and fixed her dress straps, "okay?" She looked over at the couch, "Should we sit?"

Sam nodded and kept his arm around her as they sat down. He felt very reluctant to let her go now that she was so close. Once seated, he pawed the papers to her.

Kristy leaned lightly on Sam, a feline way to comfort. She purred a little as she looked at the papers, her paws trembled as her eyes scanned through the words reading them aloud. "Samuel Nathaniel Chola, born 1985." She glanced over the part that said where he was born. "Enlisted Armed Forces of Mammalia 2003. Two combat tours in Irabbiq, decorations for valor and courage. Honorably discharged in 2009. Arrest record? 8 counts drunk and disorderly, 5 counts damage to private property and 1 count assault. 2010 enrolled at Foxford University, graduated 2014, Masters in communications science and bachelors in business. 2014 application for a business license in telecommunications." Kristy's voice was strained. She knew the ending but that didn't mean the journey there wouldn't be painful.

"Married 2005 to Victoria Grace Singetail. End report." Sam held up the final page of the report, the one concerning Victoria. "Born 1987, married 2005, graduated nursing school 2007. Diagnosed with cancer late 2007. Deceased July 2008." Kristy sniffed trying not to cry as she commented. "She was only a year older than me." The superficial details keeping her from breaking. "I'm… I'm not sure what to say." Sam could feel the feline trembling.

"I never told her goodbye." He spoke. "I was with her during all her treatments, when she was in the hospital and couldn't speak and when she took her last breath. I told her I loved her and that I was there for her. But never goodbye."

The papers slipped from Kristy's paws as she covered her muzzle with her eyes screwed shut. She shook harder as she tried not to break down, once was enough in one night. "I-I have no words." she felt ashamed for some strange reason, like what she did earlier on the dance floor was some sort of sin.

Sam reaches his other arm around her, pulling her into a hug. "You don't have to say anything." He said, as he nuzzled the top of her head.

"I should probably go home. I've caused enough drama for one night."

"I guess I should do the same." A forced laugh came from her as she looks up at the fox. "But, um, hey, what's your number?" She takes a breath. "So, we can, like, talk, you know?"

"Yeah," he pulls his phone out, "I'd like that."

Kristy and Sam exchanged numbers, then left after the bobcat composed herself, she took a moment to check that her makeup was still where it should be. Satisfied it was, the pair walked out of the office. The bobcat had one paw on her purse while her left brushed against Sam's paw. She glanced down at it and thought better of it.

Sam felt an electric tingle go up his arm as their fur brushed across each other's. He didn't think she would mind holding his paw, but it still felt too soon. As the two exited the hallway, he looked towards the bar and noticed Roxxie and Kno. He felt his fur bristling and decided it was best if he just left.

"So, um, you'll let me know you made it home okay?" He said, turning towards Kristy.

Kristy looked up at the gray fox and said. "You to, I'm just going to," she looked at Roxxie and Kno, "tell my 'Friends' goodbye. Then I'm heading home." She gave him a pretty smile said, "later Sam."

"Definitely." He replied with a smile before turning to walk towards the door.

Kristy smiled as she watched him leave. This felt different than her other relationships, if that's what this was. It was different but in a good way. The feline looked over at the bar Kno and Roxxie were there both staring at her. A light growl roll from her throat before she walked over to them.

Roxxie threw her arms around Kristy's neck and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry we were-"

"It's okay." The bobcat cut her off returning the hug. "It's just, you know." Roxxie nodded as she leaned away from her friend. "Anyway, I'm going to head home. I'll see you later"

"Give me a call tomorrow." Roxxie said waving as Kristy waved in return.

"I will." She nodded and gave Kno a peace sign.

"Drive safe Kit Kat." The coyote said.

The drive home for Kristy was much calmer with happier music to sing with. Though a few yawns started breaking her rhythm. She got home without incident. As the garage door closed Kristy scent off a text.

**"Just got home. How's traffic?"**

She sent a similar text to Roxxie before slipping out of her car. The bobcat walked as quiet as her booted paws would let her. The house was dark with both Stefano and Orchid asleep, but that wasn't a problem for the bobcat. Her eyes almost flashed in what little light there was.

Without turning on a single light Kristy made her way to her bedroom. She was glad for it; her day was catching up with her. She sat on the bed, tossed her phone on the bed near the other pillow and bent to loosen her boots. She pulled the opened toed paw wear off and wiggled her toes with a sigh. She ran her claws up her legs before turning around and walking on all fours over to her pillow.

Under the blanket with only her ears poking out laid Orchid. She trembled and whined a little from whatever bad dream she was having. Kristy frowned and pulled the blanket back a little. The little chinchilla wore the same jeans and blue penguin shirt.

Kristy slid under the covers, took a moment to fix her dress and then she curled around Orchid. Purring comfortingly with the chinchilla's head snuggled in the nape of her neck. The storms of Orchid's dreams were blown away by a bobcat scented wind. With the child calm Kristy closed her eyes to sleep.

Then the shrill beeps of Kristy's phone cut through the quiet room. The bobcat reached over and plucked phone off the bed. She blinked as the bright light shone in her face then read the text.

**Dead, just like I'm about to be.**

Kristy was about to reply when Orchid started to groan and turn. The bobcat frowned, turned down the ringer on the phone and tossed it away. With a gentle loving purr Kristy snuggled around the chinchilla who gently squeaked calming down.

As much as Kristy wanted to talk with Sam, the well being of her children came first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot of fun to write. We had so many friends help us in writing the dialogue. Togdoesstuff as Frank, Hammy as Hammy, Roxxie and Ake as themselves, and the admiral of the WildeHopps shipping fleet Cimar Turalis. If I missed anyone it was unintentional. Hope you enjoyed and will continue to follow this group on their journey.


	6. A Family Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Kristy go about their lives the day after their meeting. Things take a sad turn for our little chinchilla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone again for allowing us to use their OC's in this story. You guys have been great and I hope we have represented your characters well.

It was early Thursday morning as a cross country bus stopped just outside side of Grizonville, a rodent town a four and a half an hour drive from Foxford. The bus had sections for rodent to large size mammals. Hence, why the vehicle stopped at the bus station designed for it to drop off only the smallest passengers.

The rodents on board were thankful they had outrun that storm from the night before. The driver, an ibex, watched his weasel assistant help off load the luggage. A chinchilla by the name of Micah Westwood groaned and rolled his shoulders. The gray and white fluffy rodent stood wearing a simple black suit, the jacket hung over his shoulder. The size system worked for the most part, but at times some mammals just felt out of place no matter what. Chinchillas were one of them being much wider than the rats and mice the seats of the bus were designed for. Especially for one as used to luxury as him.

Micah sighed as the weasel finished paw cranking the chinchilla's car down from the cargo area. Primrose Ketes, Micah's wife, approached with two suitcases and a worn black backpack with a little pink hat hanging from the strap. She wore a revealing pink sundress and pearl jewelry. An odd pair too be on a bus like this one for sure. However, when one is in a hurry to leave, even the well-off make do.

They were in Grizonville for a fresh, if similar, start. This time Micah wouldn't make the same mistakes, though Micah didn't consider them mistakes just risks on risks that didn't pan out. Though the lowlifes he worked with didn't see it that way. Now his little family just needed to find a suitable house but first a place to sleep would do.

"Excuse me sir," one of the mice passengers said, "didn't you have a little girl with you."

Micah looked at the smaller rodent like that should have been obvious. The suited Chinchilla looked over at his wife expecting to see his daughter. Only he didn't. "Where's Orchid?" The father asked, more angry than concerned.

The all white female blinked and looked around. "She's not with you?" Primrose asked with a sigh.

Micah sighed and rubbed his eyes, "I'm too tired for this." He growled and tossed his coat to his wife. "Probably hiding in the bathroom."

A few concerned passengers watched Micah walk back into the bus. The weasel explained what happened to the driver who relayed it to the other larger passengers. Most of whom were asleep. Primrose just hummed as she folded the coat and carried it with the suitcases to their car.

"Orchid, come on let's go!" Micah called to the empty passenger compartment. He growled a little as he walked down to the closed bathroom. "Orchid Amelia Westwood it is time to go!" After waiting another moment, he tapped on the door. "Open this door now you little leech." The door slowly opened revealing an empty bathroom. "What the hell?"

Micah looked around the bus, after finding nothing but a five-dollar bill, which he pocketed, the chinchilla stepped out and looked around. "She's not out here, is she?"

Even the concerned passengers had already walked inside. The chinchilla scanned the parking lot then looked up at the ibex driver. "You haven't seen my daughter, have you?" The ibex's eyes widened as he shook his head. "Shit." Micah growled as he pulled out his phone.

Primrose approached her mate and asked. "Where's Orchid?"

"Can't find her, I'm calling the cops."

The female chinchilla blinked confused. The words didn't register with her right away. The weasel assistant hurried over, ready to catch her thinking she was about to faint. However, Primrose's reaction was slight. "Mom's going to kill us."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

That Saturday, around lunch time, the third day since Orchid had come into Kristy's life. The bobcat had spent the whole morning with the child and planned to do so all day. Kristy had also been texting Sam almost as soon as she had washed last night off and dressed in some comfy pajama pants and a black tank top. It just being a simple conversation between new friends and possible mates trying to get to know each other.

The child herself had started her day much like Kristy. The chinchilla took a dust bath and changed into something she probably should have last night. A panda onesie completes with paw print booties and gloves. Her fluffy form filled out the pajamas so perfectly that with the hood up she looked just a tiny cartoon panda.

They had eaten breakfast with Stefano, but the fox had a weekend class to get to. After dropping him off at school Kristy and Orchid returned and decided to bake some sugar cookies. The bobcat let the chinchilla pick songs to listen to as they worked. For the most part, it was music Kristy could enjoy. Though the current song, Smile, a teeny-bopper song sung by a Water Deer doe and a Red Panda, grated lightly on the rocker sensibilities of the bobcat. Kristy bounced lightly to the music, more for Orchid's benefit then actual enjoyment of the song.

Like they had been doing, Kristy rolled out the dough until it was cookies thick. Then, the bobcat placed the cookie cutters in a line. The star, circle, fish and guitar shapes didn't really line up although Kristy wasn't really trying. Orchid would jump onto the handles of the cutter. She used her weight to force the cutter through the dough before jumping to the next. As the child jumped Kristy pluck the cutter up and set it at the end of the line. Orchid never had to stop till all the cookies were cut. Her little heart pounding as she giggled none stop. Her mother never baked much less let her help.

Once Orchid had cookie cutter hopscotched her way across all the dough she squeaked happily and hoped to the counter. Kristy purred as she pulled up the extra dough up from the counter. It didn't look like there was enough dough to make another batch. Which was probably good as all three of her cookie sheets were full. The bobcat balled up the dough and tossed it in a flowered freezer bag. "Makes a good ice cream topping."

Orchid nodded then fluffed her face with a simple squeak. Kristy smiled and picked up the three trays and placed them in the oven, her whiskers wiggling from the heat. "Now we wait 15 minutes." Orchid squeaked in triumph as the bobcat pats her paws.

Kristy phone rang just then. She meows quietly as she picks it up. It was from that detective she talked to a few days ago. "H-hello." She reluctantly answered.

Orchid didn't really care about the phone call; they had never pertained to her anyway. She had sweets to investigate. The chinchilla sniffed at the small tub of chocolate fudge icing ignoring the somber tone of Kristy's voice. The child quickly decided there was no way she could sneak some frosting, so she moved on.

Next to the icing tub Orchid found the black and white sprinkles. While Kristy was holding in her emotions on the phone, Orchid stood up and opened the sprinkles. With a mischievous smirk she reached into the container and grabbed a paw full of the two-tone sugary treats. While she would have never thought of doing this back home, Kristy didn't seem to be the type to punish her like her parents would.

Orchid stuffed the sprinkles in her mouth and hummed at the sweet taste. She smiled and reached into the bottle again as Kristy hung up the phone and dropped it on the counter as she spoke. "Orchid." Startling the mischievous child, the little chinchilla squeaked as the sprinkles' container toppled over. Thankfully the adult bobcat was quick enough to catch it before a bigger mess was made.

Kristy didn't look happy, a look of anger with a boiling sadness covered her face. Orchid hunkered down staring up at the feline thinking she was in trouble. The bobcat took a breath and said. "Orchid. That was the detective. They got in contact with your parents." The feline's voice faltered as she spoke. "They're coming to get you later tonight."

Orchid's eyes widened and she squeaked in panic as she whipped around, her little paws and booties slipping on the countertop. She ran to the end of the counter and jumped down, kicking off the cabinet to land on the kitchen floor softly. Kristy didn't pursue her, just watched sadly as the chinchilla scurried away.

The bobcat took a deep breath and slowly walked into the living room. Her silent paws taking her over to the couch. With a gentle voice the bobcat crouched and looked under it to see the ball Orchid had curled up in. "What did they do to you?" Kristy asked, but Orchid's only response was to curl up on herself tighter. Kristy sighed and pushed herself up off the floor. She let the chinchilla be for now.

About 20 minutes past before something drew Orchid from her ball. The sound of a plate being placed on the floor in front of the couch. Her little pink nose wiggled as the smell of warm cookies and fudge hit her nose. Kristy was sitting with her back to the couch next to the plate. Seeing the bobcat did not appear ready to grab her, Orchid slowly hopped out from under the couch and sniffed at the plate. The chinchilla glanced up at Kristy as she picked up a fudge and sprinkle covered guitar shaped cookie. Kristy was watching her with barely held back tears.

The chinchilla ate the neck of the guitar, somehow only getting fudge around her mouth. She used a provided wipe to clean her paws and face. With a sniffle Orchid looked up at Kristy and held up her paws. Without a word the child was scooped up and held to Kristy chest. A little whimper came from Orchid, a moment after a bigger whimper came from Kristy as she curled around the chinchilla. "I don't want to let you go." Orchid just whimpered as she rubbed her face into Kristy's shirt.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sam's Saturday was both the same and different from any other Saturday. He woke up early, though with a bit more effort than usual, and dressed in a worn t-shirt and some tattered blue jeans. The first thing out of the norm was the text message he received while putting his shirt on.

**Frank: "So how'd it go last night?"**

Sam had to think on that. Overall, everything went well. Until the questionnaire came out.

**Sam: "Fine, till her friends gave me the third degree"**

**Frank: "That bad?"**

**Sam: "Yes"**

**Frank: "Did it not work out?"**

As Sam typed his reply, he received another message which brought a smile to his lips.

**Sam: "I wouldn't say that."**

He then turned his attention to his new message.

**Kristy: "Good Morning! I hope you're still there!"**

**Sam: "Good morning, why wouldn't I be?"**

**Kristy: "Oh good. Please don't make jokes like that."**

**Sam: "Jokes like what?"**

**Kristy: "About dying. I don't like stuff like that."**

**Sam: "Um, okay"**

And so, went the rest of the morning texting about nothing and everything all while he went about his day. Before breakfast, he worked out, he hit the weights a little harder than normal, something just seemed to motivate him to push himself today. After a quick shower he made himself a hearty breakfast. All the while exchanging text. Finished eating, he went about his weekly routine of cleaning his house thoroughly, washing and folding laundry. As he was hanging up his shirts in the closet, his paw bumped against a cardboard box on the floor. He'd bumped his paw against this box countless times in the past, but today it gave him pause.

He reached down and lifted it from the floor, carrying the box to the bed where he sat it on the mattress. His fingers resting on the folded flaps. He slowly traced the edges with a claw, a battle raging in his mind as to whether to open it or not. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he had the desire to look at its contents once again. With another chime from his phone, he decided it would be better to wait for another day. Placing it on top of his dresser, he picked up his phone and went outside to do yard work.

He walked out to the shed. Opened the door and went to the lawn mower parked in the center. He checked the gas and decided to fill it up before starting. Just as he turned to the gas can his phone started to ring. Checking it, he was surprised to find that Kristy was calling him.

"Hey!" He answered in a chipper voice.

Kristy's reply wasn't nearly as happy as Sam had expected. "Hey, Sam." The bobcat replied, her voice a little hoarse like she had been crying or something.

Sam's ears perked and his smile wavered at the sound of her voice. "You okay?" he asked.

"Sort of, not really." The bobcat mewed low. Kristy took a deep breath. "I need to vent and Roxxie is at the doctor or something. Do you mind?"

Sam smiled a little at that. To be considered close enough that she would go to him to get her frustrations out. Even if he was her second choice.

"No, not at all, um, do you want to meet somewhere?" He looked at his watch. "It's almost lunch time. We could have a bite to eat while you get everything off your chest."

"Oh, um maybe later." Kristy replied. "Because you remember when I said the reason why I'm taking care of Orchid was a bit of a long story?"

"Yeah?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Well you see I found her the other night, during that rainstorm." Kristy then told Sam the story of finding Orchid, how she freaked when Kristy wanted to find her parents and all the other little signs of abuse the bobcat had seen. "These mammals didn't even give her chocolate! Fucking chocolate, dude! Now they're on their way to get her back." Sam could hear the tear rolling down the bobcat's face. "And I don't know if I should or if I can even do anything."

"Have you told the police?" He asked.

"Yeah, but their paws are tied because Orchid hasn't said anything and there are no eyewitnesses so, yeah." The bobcat took a breath. "I'm going to talk to them about it when I go up but… I don't know."

Sam let out a defeated sigh as he thought over what options they might have. When none came to mind, he said the only thing he could. "We'll just have to take her and tell the police about how she reacted and hope for the best."

Kristy smiled weakly. "Yeah. I just… did you say we?" The feline's voice grew more hopeful and confused with each word.

Sam's jaw hung open as his mind suddenly went blank. had decided to crash as he recalled the memory of suddenly interjecting himself into Kristy's affairs uninvited. "Uuhhh, yeah, I guess I did. I mean, I could if you wanted me to. If you don't that's fine." He quickly added at the end. He suddenly felt hot as his face flushed with embarrassment.

The bobcat smiled a little bigger and it could be heard in her voice as she said. "I would actually really like that." Kristy took a breath. "So, um, the police station in about an hour?"

Sam nodded eagerly, even though Kristy couldn't see it. "Yeah!" He said, almost a little too excited before clearing his throat. "I'll be there."

"Thanks so, so, much Sam." Her voice ringing with genuine affection and gratitude.

"You're welcome." He replied warmly. "I'll see you there."

"See you then. Got to go get Orchid and myself ready and pick up Stefano on the way there." The bobcat paused. "Did I tell you who Stefano is?" The bobcat almost jumped out of her hide worried that Sam would think the wrong thing. "He's a student at the university that lives with me." She quickly explained. "I signed up for a program where I house a foreign student, kind take them under your wing so to speak, I guess. He doesn't have a ride and there's a reason he should be there."

"Um, okay." Sam answered, unsure of what to make of that. "I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah, and thank you again, Sam." He could hear her smile as she said. "See you later."

After hanging up her phone Kristy set it on the kitchen counter. Her smile faded as she returned to the living room. Orchid was where she had left her. Hugging her teddy bear and watch that cartoon about the capybara princess in a purple dress.

The bobcat sighed she really didn't want to do this, but she had too. "Hey, Orchid, I think it's time to change to go." Kristy's voice almost caught in her throat.

Orchid squeaked and hid her face in the bear. Kristy closed her eyes and said. "Please, Orchid I don't want this to be harder than it has to be."

The chinchilla looked up at the bobcat that should have saved her from her old life. She squeaked and said. "Stay." She sniffled her words not coming to her. Something the child did have trouble with anyway.

"I would love that...but." Kristy knelt beside Orchid on the couch. "Your parents want you back and you should look good, so everyone knows just how safe you were. They might even let me babysit you if they know how good a job I did." Kristy doubt that. She really hoped to show that she didn't kidnap Orchid. Maybe that will validate the child's claim of abuse.

But if all else fails Kristy wanted the last memory of Orchid to be her in something nice that Kristy got for her.

The chinchilla gave a sad squeaky. "Okay." She stood and held up her paws. Her imitated purr started as Kirsty picked her up purring as well. She carried the child to the master bedroom.

Kristy set Orchid on the dresser. It took the bobcat a few times to finally say. "Go on Sweetie. Pick something nice."

Orchid, still in her panda pajamas, looked at her collection of clothes. She pulled a folded skirt from pile. Kristy caught the stack before it fell. The bobcat frowned a little as the child picked a Union Jack sleeveless shirt. She then squeaked and hopped over to several bows set out in order. She grabbed a purple one with white polka dots.

it was all mismatched, too mismatched. "Um sweetie." Orchid looked up at Kristy as she wiggled out of her pajamas. "Those are all good choices Orchid, but I really want to see you in this." Kristy pulled a black dress for a stack of dresses. It was a simple circle skirt with a modest sleeveless top speckled with strawberries. Around the waist was red ribbon.

The chinchilla's eyes widened, and she squeaked joyfully, distracted by the images of one of the few fruits she recognized. The nice old ground squirrel neighbor use to let her pick some strawberries from her brushes. Kristy smiled and held the dress so the chinchilla could slip into it. While Orchid shook a little to get the dress comfortable, Kristy pick out a little black bow with a strawberry in the middle, just the perfect accessory for the dress. It slipped over the chinchilla's right ear easily.

After Kristy helped the chinchilla child get the dress zipped and tightened, the bobcat picked Orchid up and held her in front of the mirror. "Look how cute you are." She almost couldn't get the words out without choking.

Orchid didn't say anything, she just smiled and snuggled up close to the bobcat still making a purring sound. Kristy's lip quivered as she said. "Now it's my turned."

The feline set the chinchilla on the bed. Kristy grabbed the clothes she wanted and stepped into the bathroom to change. Orchid fluffed her face and dress as she waited. It wasn't long before Kristy returned wearing black capri's that hugged her hips and a light blue, short-sleeve, V-neck blouse. A darker blue tank top undershirt kept the bobcat modest. Some thin red lipstick, a pair of small gold hoop earrings and some eyeliner finished her professional look. "What you think? Perfect guardian, right?"

The chinchilla giggled and hopped around squeaking. Orchid couldn't bring herself to say what she wanted. The child didn't know she knew the words for it, but the sentiment came across. Kristy smiled and held out her arms and the chinchilla jumped into them. The bobcat hugged her daughter to her chest.

Orchid smiled and snuggles into the feline, the light scent of jasmine and vanilla mixed with Kristy's own scent. It had that predatory spice that almost burnt the nose. But it was so much better than her birth mother. Not only did Kristy know when to stop with the perfume but there was also affection and care in the embrace. It wasn't just an act of social obligation.

"Okay I need a picture of this." Kristy said as she pulled her phone from her pocket and held it up with the selfie camera on. The feline smiled and purred. "smile sweetie."

Orchid looked up, worried and frightened. Horrid memories of getting yelled at till she smiled just perfect or held her ears just right, all so someone else could think her mother was the greatest caregiver on the planet. However, looking at the phone screen seeing how she was held in the arms of someone who was actually trying. Someone who cared. The child smiled she couldn't help it. For the moment.

Kristy took the picture, capturing the moment of mother and daughter for all time. As they both look at the phone their eyes let loose. They wanted that moment last forever. Kristy held Orchid close and quietly weep as did the child. The bobcat slowly walked out to her car and reluctantly set Orchid in her seat.

Once again Orchid's parents got their way at their daughter's expense.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Clouds floated in the bright sky casting small shadows on the college campus. A darker cloud shadow crawled over the library where Stefano stood. He adjusted his blue book bag on his shoulder. He wore one of his many checkered shirts. This one green and white and some blue jeans. It wasn't cool enough for a jacket today, besides Stefano had a thick winter coat anyway so it wasn't really needed till much later in winter.

He looked at his phone again and sighed, when Kristy had called to say she was picking him up she had sounded off. Her voice had been emotional. He hoped nothing bad had happened.

The flash of red caught his eye, the fox looked up to see the sports car Kristy drove pulling into the parking lot. He could see the bobcat was dressed nice as she stopped by the curb. He also noticed the dress Orchid was wearing. Were they going out tonight? Their eyes didn't look it, too puffy and red to be dressed up to go out. "What's wrong?" Stefano asked as he sat with his backpack in his lap.

"Orchid's parents came back for her."

The fox's eyes widened as he exclaimed his dismay in his native tongue.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Kristy dried her eyes as she parked in the police station parking lot. The feline didn't want to do this. She looked over at Stefano who looked extremely uncomfortable. The young fox didn't know what to say, no matter how much he wanted to.

After a breath Kristy looked in the back and says. "Okay, Orchid, time to go."

"No!" The chinchilla said looking away.

The bobcat sighed tears forming in her eyes. "Please sweetie, please don't make this any harder than it has to be." Kristy wanted to say if it was up to her Orchid wouldn't be going anywhere, but that wouldn't help.

Orchid squeaked as she slapped the release button on the car seat and dove for the safety of the floorboard. However, on instinct the predator's paws snapped out and caught the child. Making her kick and squeal until she was held in the warm firm embrace of the mammal Orchid desperately wanted to stay with. Stefano looked away as the bobcat curled around the child in her arms.

Finally, after who knows how long the bobcat stepped out of the car with the chinchilla in her arms. Stefano soon followed. He closed the door of the car and bobcat locked it with the key fob as she scanned the parking lot. The fox noticed wondered who she was hoping to see.

The door to a large silver truck parked a couple of spaces down from where they'd were suddenly opened and out stepped Sam. After closing his door, he walked towards the group with his paws in his pockets. Wearing jeans and a black undershirt with a red button up with the sleeves rolled to just below his elbows. His fur gleamed a little as though it wasn't fully dried. He was smiling but it was easy to tell he felt a little apprehension as he approached.

That familiar glass smile of Kristy's returned as she looked at Sam. Orchid just hid her face in Kristy's shirt as the feline said. "Thank you again, Sam." The bobcat's tail relaxed behind her a little then her ears shot up. "Oh, Sam, this is Stefano." She stepped to the side, letting the foxes see each other.

Orchid slowly looked over at the gray fox a wish to be rescued again sparkling in her eyes. Stefano held up his paw and said. "Nice to meet you." There was a glint of suspicion in his eyes, Kristy had mentioned she met someone last night, but it seemed too fast for the fox.

Sam smiled politely and firmly shaking paws with the younger fox. "Likewise." Stefano tried to match the older gray's grip but failed. Could be a lack of strength but was probably a subconscious sign of submission.

The bobcat looked between the two and nodded glad the boys were getting along for now. Kristy however refused to look down at Orchid. She didn't want to break down in front of Sam, again. "So... I guess it's time?"

Sam turned to Kristy and nodded in agreement. The air was heavy as they walked toward the entrance of the small-town police station. The reception area had a simple white tile floor and off-white walls. The counter was light stained wood. The bright interior was an odd contrast to the green exterior and dark air.

At the counter was an older female jaguar. She looked up with bright eyes. Her modest uniform was immaculate. She examined the group for a moment before asking. "How can I help you today?" Kristy looked at the larger feline and hesitated.

Seeing Kristy struggle, Sam stepped forward. "We're the ones who found the missing child." He looked back to Kristy and Orchid. The chinchilla hid her face while the bobcat silently thanked him.

The jaguar nodded. "Yes...we were expecting you." As the officer was explaining how to get to the office, they were looking for Orchid started to tremble in the bobcat's arms. Which only served to make Kristy shake too.

Following the instructions they were given, the group made their way through the halls. While the reception area was sterile, the office area was lived in. The walls had scuffs, claw marks here and there, one corner even had a deep bite mark. The gray carpets were not in the best of shape, tares here and there a few frayed threads. The smell was not unpleasant spoke of hard work and bad times.

Most of mammals the group saw were wolves, the scent markers told them like many cities around the world most if the police force was made up of wolves. Even with the cultural shift in the past few years. Many lupines just seemed drawn to the job, like the military it was natural for them to be part of a close-knit pack working together for an objective.

Finally, Kristy stood before the door, Sam and Stefano behind her. Like much of the building it was a little over sized for the bobcat it's handle almost level with her shoulder. She paused and took a breath. Orchid shivered somehow knowing they were close without looking. Sam reached forward and placed a paw on Kristy's shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile. The bobcat tried to smile for him but quickly gave up before reaching for the handle. Stefano didn't know what to do he just watched.

The door was just a normal wooden interior door but too Kristy it was as heavy as lead and the knob felt rusted solid. It swung open revealing the detective she had only ever spoken to on the phone. He was an average sizes grey wolf. His gold green eyes had seen the worst and best in mammals and showed how much that can wear of a mammal. Detective Jameson wore an off-white button up with brown suspenders and black slacks. A black pistol hung from his hip with his badge snapped to his belt on the other side.

By the door stood a 12-point white tail deer buck in patrol blues. On the desk stood two chinchillas. The male's gray and white fluffy fur was a perfect match for Orchid's coat. He wore a tuxedo with a deep red shirt, gold cufflinks and buttons. Despite its small size it was probably worth more than anything in the wardrobes of the larger mammals.

As fancy and overdressed Orchid's father was, it was nothing compared to her mother's dress. An expansive low cut backless purple number with a flow of tiny diamond studs that started at her right shoulder and crossed her belly and curled around her hip to hook under her tail. Her ears had a half pearl hanging from them and a larger pearl had been carved out to be a tiara.

Sam couldn't control the eyebrow that raised or the look of disbelief that came onto his muzzle. Stefano thought this was some sort of custom he didn't understand, no, these two were just showoffs. Kristy's was in shock; she was sure these two couldn't be serious. They weren't going to fool anyone, the smugness flowed from the couple like the smoke from a witch's cauldron. It sickened Kristy to know these two were taking her daughter. Orchid whimpered a little at the sight of her parents and curled up tighter against Kristy's chest.

A sickly-sweet smile grew on Primrose's face. It was as false as it was well acted. "Oh, thank you, thank you so much for bringing our little sweet pea back to us." Before the bobcat could reply the rodent held out her arms. "Come on, Orchid, say 'bye bye' to the nice mammals, we got a long drive ahead of us."

"I am very sorry you had to deal with her, we don't know how she got away." Micah said. The father's smile wasn't enough to hide how annoyed he was.

Kirsty wanted to say it was a pleasure, but the words didn't come she couldn't bring herself to be polite to these two. Orchid did not respond to her birth mothers call either, other than to bring her tail up and over her face. As if she was trying to block out the world. Primrose's arms slowly dropped to her side and Micah's fake smile fell off his face. As the moment grew awkward the deer officer cleared his throat and Detective Jameson stepped around his desk. "I think we should have a word with ... Orchid… first?"

Primrose's eyes shot wide and she looked to her husband who cleared his throat to speak. "That's not necessary. I'm a busy chin and my daughter has always been a bit troubled. We'll get her into some therapy when we got home." Orchid squeaks, still hiding from the other chinchillas

Kristy hesitates unsure what to do now. The detective looked back and forth, he had seen mammals with Micah's money-making others' lives hell if they were angered. However, the impatient Primrose sighed. "I want to hold my baby. Let me have my precious baby." She sounded more like an entitled brat then a worried mother.

Micah looked at his wife then the bobcat, "Come on kitty," Sam raised an eyebrow at that, "we have already been through a four-hour drive and have another ahead of us. So, you can drop the act."

"Miss Ar'hap." the wolf detective said mentioning to the desk. Jameson didn't want to do this, but they had to play it safe. Kristy frowned and looked back at Sam. The gray fox looked back with nothing but sadness and sympathy in his eyes. He wanted to give that chinchilla a piece of his mind for calling Kristy kitty.

Kristy stepped forward out of Sam reach, his paw slipping from her shoulder as she neared the desk. With a whimper the cat reluctantly pulled Orchid away from her chest. The child squeaked and pulled on the tank top the bobcat wore under her blouse. Orchid whimpered when the fabric slipped from her grasp and snapped back into place. She looked up at Kristy's face, both were on the verge of tears as Orchid was placed on the desk.

"Oh, sweet pea, I'm so very happy your back." Primrose said dramatically wrapping her arms around Orchid. The mother pulled the child away from the edge of the desk and away from the bobcat. The wolf detective cleared his throat and nodded for Kristy and the others to join him in the hall.

Kristy, Sam and Stefano stepped into the hall as Detective Jameson pulled the door too. Orchid watched the door until her face was turned to look at her mother. The older chinchilla sighed as she looked her daughter over. "ugh what did that beast do to you, your fur is all a mess."

While Orchid's mother was fussing over her, the child's dad groaned and rubbed his nose. "Can't wait to get out of here. This place reeks of mongrels and mange. Where probably going to have to give Orchid a flea bath. who knows what that cat brings home? You know how they are, different guy every night."

"Micah, hush, she might hear you." Primrose says as she pulls the bow off Orchid's ear. "Sluts like that never like to hear how they really are." The child whined and reached for the bow, but her mother held it just out of reach. Orchid didn't know what her parents were saying but she knew they were being mean to Kristy.

Unable to reach the bow Orchid pouted. "I like Kristy." She squeaked. "She nice and save me."

Micah snorts "yeah, sure that flea-bitten hairball probably just wanted a snack for after a drunken night with the ratty fox and his son." The buck officer looked around feeling strange that he was being ignored.

"And just look at the rags she put you in," Primrose scoffed in disgust, pulling on the shoulder of the strawberry dress. "As if covering you in her drugged-up stink wasn't bad enough."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Kristy stood solemnly hugging herself as Sam stood close rubbing her shoulders. Stefano stood a few steps back, he stared at the Detective as he said. "Thank you, for going out of your way to take care of the child. We can discuss compensation after we get your statement."

The detective was going to mention they should play it by ear with the abuse when the young fox blurted out. "Why are you letting them take her. Kristy wants Orchid more than them. They are just fakers saving face." He looked away and grumbled in his native tongue.

Throughout all this Sam never left Kristy's side. He still felt like a newcomer to the situation and did his best to provide emotional support. After the younger fox expressed his frustrations, Sam tried to get the conversation back on track. He knew things like this were best treated like a band aid. Rip it off quickly so the healing could begin.

"You were saying detective?" He asked.

The wolf looked back at Kristy and sighed. "I know what you mean. But unfortunately, my paws are tied… For now." Jameson looked at the partially open door. "We can discuss this later."

Kristy's shaking eyes steady as she asked. "What do you mean?"

Before detective Jameson could respond a squeaky voice echoed from the office as the door opened a little more.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Kristy is best," Orchid shouted suddenly pulling away from her mother's grasp, whipping around to glare at her parent's. Anger and disuse marring her speech, but she wasn't letting it stop her. "She no hit me, no scream or lock me up! She smells pretty, too, and let me play! She no fake, no meany pants!" The deer by the door was discreetly pushing it open.

"She cares a-out me." Orchid yells as the bobcat in question stepped back into the room. "No want dumb likes. No care a-out follows. Just me. She eats meat but still make good food for me."

"Orchid." Kristy said with a gentle smile. The chinchilla looked up with a squeak.

The child snatched the bow from her mother's purple painted claws before turning and jumping into the waiting paws of Kristy. She climbed up the bobcat's sleeve and sat proudly on her shoulder, anger and hatred in her little voice.

"Want Kristy, you two shit, rot in hell!"

Kristy could hear the officer snicker behind his hoof, and she didn't have to ask where Orchid had learned that language. Stefano smiled as Kristy picked the child off her shoulder and cradled her. Orchid put the bow back on, it wasn't right on her ear, but she didn't care she just had one request. "Can we go home."

Kristy smiled and held the chinchilla up and nuzzled her saying. "Yes." Orchid snuggled into her neck Kristy turned to leave. The child looked at her parents sticking out her tongue at them while making gestures no child her age should.

Primrose looked at the police officer has Kristy left the room. Stefano followed the bobcat grinning like a fool seeing what the child was doing. Sam stood stunned still in the room. He turned to look at the officers.

"Is she okay to go home with us?"

"Let's step outside and talk about it." After closing the door behind him the detective gave a sad sigh. "I wish I could say she could go home with you, but the law requires she stays here until a social worker arrives to straighten this whole thing out. I'll go make the call, there's a break room around back that you can wait in."

Back in the room Primrose looked at Micah while he stared at the door. "They...they can't do that? right?" He looked up at the deer by the door.

The officer looked at the chinchillas on the table. "Not right away." He said knowing he shouldn't do what he was about to do. "After something like that we have to call child services. they'll come in to interview her."

"Wha-why… You can't do that!" The chinchilla asked.

The deer nodded his head. "She made some pretty serious statements in front of two officers of the law. We're duty bound to follow up. If you're lucky, they'll think she is just trouble and require therapy like you said but well... Have you ever dealt with child protective services before?" Micah shook his head while Primrose bit her lip. The deer hid a smirk. "Well when they investigate something they go deep, looking in every closet for the skeletons and under every rock for any dirt. That's why we call them crusaders."

Micah's thousand-yard stare focused as the officer went on. The deer had him hooked now he just needed to get him in the boat so to speak. "I mean, there was this one mammal I brought in that they dug up stuff from his middle school days."

"What can we do to stop that?" Micah asked looking at the deer. Primrose had her paws held together; she wasn't a praying mammal, but she was seriously contemplating it right now.

They were in the boat just need to bring them home. "Well." The officer knew he shouldn't do this but sometimes he couldn't stand seeing money getting mammals their way. If he could save this child, he was going too. "The easiest way to avoid an investigation would be to give up custody of her and let the cat adopt her."

"Micah, my mother she'll... you know."

The gradient gray chin thought for a moment. "I know... I know but," he looked up the deer who was forcing a straight face. He leaned over to his wife and whispered. "If they investigate us, they'll know. We'll end up in jail."

"You will." Primrose said leaning away.

"No, WE will." The chinchilla in a suit growled. "Get the papers."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Detective Jameson stood watching Kristy. The bobcat held Orchid away from the perceived threat, Stefano glared at the wolf detective as they waited on the social worker he had called. Sam sat next to Kristy. He looked very uncomfortable, or unsure of what he should do. He was confused, the gray fox looked over at the bobcat. He couldn't help but admire her determination to be a good parent, even if she was just winging.

The wolf clears his throat before speaking. "So, when child services gets here… Orchid will need to go with them for a time." The wolf's ears shot up at the low rumbling growl that briefly escaped the bobcat's throat. While Sam's eyes widen at the feeling and sound of the threat, Orchid just wiggled her tickled whiskers somehow, she felt no fear from the growl.

Kristy had been surprised by the growl as anyone else. She lowered her ears and mewed. "You heard what she said, I mean really you can look at them and see just how fake they are."

"Intuition doesn't hold up in court."

"It won't have to." The white tail buck said as he entered the waiting room. Jameson glared at the beat officer, now his intuition was telling him that the deer did something. "Orchid's parents saw how much she liked you and decided she should be with who makes her happy."

"Really?" Kristy asked with Orchid mimicking her question.

"It's the story I'm going with." The deer said while Jameson sighed. The wolf was happy and upset at the same moment.

"Works for me!" Kristy said with a big smile as she looked at Orchid in her arms then Stefano finally ending on Sam. The gray fox felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"They've asked for papers to be typed up. I've contacted child services and notified them of the change." The buck saw the glare coming from his superior and suddenly felt sheepish. "Uh, if you have no objections detective." The wolf let out a frustrated sigh.

"No, I suppose not." Detective Jameson replied, looking at the little chin clinging to the bobcat. "I suppose it's better this way."

The officers left the small group in the break room as they went about filing reports and catching up on paperwork as they waited for child services to arrive. When they did, it was a surprisingly short affair. Child services first interviewed Orchid's parents, who merely wanted to sign the papers and leave. Then, Kristy and Orchid.

The questions were short and to the point. Marital status, income, home address and Kristy's reasons for adopting the child. Orchid was questioned separately. Which nearly caused another growl from Kristy. Thankfully, Sam had anticipated it this time and placed a reassuring paw on the bobcat's shoulder before she snarled like a savage.

Orchid's questions were simple yes and no ones. Did she want to go with Kristy, was Kristy nice to her, did she like Kristy's house. Things of that nature that a child could understand and could reveal if anything nefarious was going on. Orchid must have answered all the questions to the examiner's satisfaction as she brought the papers to be signed back with the child. The forms had already been signed and all necessary information from the parents had already been filled in. The forms included a temporary guardianship form giving Kristy legal rights to care for Orchid until the adoption papers could be filed and approved.

With all the legal papers out of the way and a purring Kristy hugged Orchid in the reception area, the mood had changed entirely. Relief, happiness and euphoria it was hard to describe. The bobcat's brown eyes sparkled as she looked around. Stefano was beaming, Sam was smirking too even the jaguar officer looked happy for them.

"We should celebrate." The bobcat said with a smile. Orchid squeaked happily as Stefano nodded with a big smile and a declaration of something in his native tongue. Kristy smiled more as she looked back at her child. Her first, a moment of worry shot through her as she hoped she didn't mess everything up for Orchid. "What do you want to eat to celebrate little sweet flower."

"Ice cream and cookies." Orchid replied beaming. She only barely understood what had just transpired but she knew one thing. She was staying with Kristy.

"I think that can be arranged." The bobcat said looking over at Sam. "There's a Horseapplebees down the road from here. You can come along if you like." The bobcat giggled. "I don't know the owner, so you won't be interrogated this time." She smiled hopefully.

Sam let out an amused huff before answering. "Sure, my treat."

"Your too kind." The feline replied her blushing face showing just how much she appreciated the gesture. As they walked out to their cars the bobcat paused at her sports car she looked up at Sam and said. "Thank you again for coming."

"My pleasure." He said with a smile as his tail slowly wagged behind him. He then turned and walked towards his own vehicle. "See you there."

Once back in the car with a happy chattering and purring Orchid strapped into her seat in the back. Stefano sat in the passenger seat happy and revealed. Kristy smiled as she started the car and her phone connects. "I'm just going to make a quick call." The bobcat says with a smirk.

Through the speakers of the car came the ringing of a phone soon followed by the somewhat worried voice of Roxxie greeting Kristy. "Hey girl, I got your message. How are you holding up?"

"I'm good." Kristy replied. "Say hello to your new goddaughter!" The skunkette was confused as Kristy glanced in the back of the car and said. "Orchid, say hi to Roxxie. She's Momma's best friend."

The chinchilla nervously chirped before saying. "H-hi."

There was an audible pause as the skunk recovered from the cute voice. "Hey little one I'm Auntie Roxxie." The skunkette giggled and squealed a little. "Lucky you get a kit without the hard part."

"Kind of got two, Stefano's here too."

"Hi Stefano."

"Cheo." The fox greeted with a smile.

"We all have to have dinner as a family sometime but hey I need to talk to Kno real quick."

"Sure, my Yote's right here."

Kristy thanked her friend before the sound of the phone being passed off bothered the three passenger's ears. A moment later Kno's deep voice rolled through the speakers. "What's up Kit Kat?"

"I need a favor."

"What you need?" The coyote replied, this sounded serious.

"Well there's a couple leaving the police station soon, you'll know who." The bobcat's voice lowered. "I need you to do what you do and make them pay."

"Why?" The coyote asked distracted as he did something on his end.

"No one hurts my baby girl and gets away with it." Kristy spoke low and grave, the meaning of what the adults were saying went over Orchid's head it the intent frightened her. Stefano was confused and frightened as well as he looked at Kristy with his eyes wide.


	7. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Kristy go on their first date together with just them. They grow closer and a little history is revealed.

It had been two weeks since the episode at the police station, both Kristy and Sam agreeing that they should give Orchid time to adjust to her new forever family. Though the two still kept in touch with text messages, phone calls and even having lunch together on occasion. Despite some lingering doubts and questions Kristy hadn't built the courage to ask, the bobcat was enjoying her time with Sam.

"How about dinner and a movie? The new Fur Wars movie is in theaters." Sam suggested.

"I've always been more of a musical girl myself." Kristy texted back. "Feline's looks good, the music does at least." Before Sam could reply a third text came. "Don't tell anyone. Got a rocker look to keep up lol."

Sam chuckled at that, typing out a reply. "Your secret is safe with me. Where would you like to eat?"

"Oh I'm good with wherever you want to go." The bobcat texted back. 

As Sam read her reply something in the back of his mind began ringing warning bells, but he couldn't place what-exactly they were warning him about. So, he just started making suggestions. "How about McCatlister's?"

"Oh no no no not that place. The manager hits on any cat that comes in. Creeps me out."

_"Okay… seems legit."_ He thought after a moment. There was still the lingering sense that kept ringing in the back of his mind. He sent more suggestions, each was denied with varying degrees of legitimacy. From price and taste to cleanliness or a friend getting food poisoning. Eventually, he ran out of patience and the warning in the back of his mind finally came to the forefront. Sam face palmed himself when he remembered what he'd learned while dating his first mate.

Females can't make up their own minds about where to eat. With a shake of his head he employed an old tactic his father had taught him. 

"Do you prefer dinner then a movie or movie then dinner?"

The reply was quick. “Movie first we can share popcorn all cute like. Lol” Kristy added a smiling cat face a moment later.

_“Hmmm, perfect.”_ He thought before typing a reply. “Okay, I’ll pick you up around 4?”

"Perfect." The bobcat texted. "See you then." Sam could imagine the smile on the confident cat's face. Pride and just the right amount of bashfulness making her just look so cute.

Sam spent that morning going through his things and getting everything ready. Meticulously picking out an outfit that looked casual as well as charming, deciding on a nice pair of faded jeans and a dark blue button up shirt with thin white stripes. He'd managed to finally get more cologne and sprayed a modest amount around his neck. The last thing he did before leaving was pick up a once hidden picture frame. Behind the glass lay a glossy photo of himself and Victoria. Sam smiled and ran his thumb down the side of her face as a sad smile crept up his lips. She would want him to be happy, he knew that. So he set it back on the counter, the happy face a looking out at his home. With his past watching his back he headed towards his future.

Sam drove through Kristy's neighborhood, it was fairly nice. Most of the homes were single stories with two or three bedrooms. Their exterior various shades of earthy tones or forest stuccos. Here and there were homes built to a slightly larger scale for the rare larger sized mammals that lived in Foxford, though it was normally nothing larger than a timber wolf. It was a fairly nice place but not beyond a visit from the police, beyond that of the few that lived there, but none of these were the homes Sam was looking for.

The moment the grey fox saw the address he was looking for the blue-green stucco home seemed to glow like a jewel in the fading sunlight. Sam pulled up into the driveway behind the little red mustang in the garage, parking his truck and turning the motor off before climbing out. He walked to the door and for the first time that day felt some apprehension. It seemed his nerves were finally catching up to him. This was their first real date, no Orchid, or Stephano, or anyone else. Just them. He looked at himself once more, ensuring everything was just right, then pressed the doorbell.

From inside Sam could hear an acoustic guitar playing. Maybe even a startled squeak before the bobcat's voice called. "Coming."

A moment later the door opened revealing Kristy. Her silver winter coat had completely come in, with some help from a brush. Her honey brown eyes sparkled in the dark maroon eyeshadow she wore. Her lips were red to match but the smile sparkled as bright as ever. A pair of gold hoops hung from her ears with a few gold studs on either side of the hoop. 

She wore a white false fold over shirt with elbow length sleeves and a neck low enough to be alluring but still modest and elegant. Even though he tried not too Sam looked and noticed just the hint of that cute heart shaped spot of hers. The shirt was tucked into a high waisted black skirt. Two rows of three gold buttons kept it tight and the bobcat slim. A pair of black stockings finished out the outfit other than a little gold ring on her right pinky toe.

"Howdy, Sam." The bobcat greeted beaming, "I just need to grab my purse and say goodbye and we're good to go."

“H-hey.” Sam shakingly replies, finding himself in awe of how good she looked. He waited impatiently for her to return, wanting to spend more time looking her over. He’d definitely be a distracted driver tonight. When she did come back he walked beside her back to the truck and opened the door for her like a gentlemammal. Once he joined her inside, Sam started the vehicle and pulled back into the street, driving towards the main part of town, waiting for her to ask where they were going. 

After finding a place to set her little black purse, the truck was very roomy but Kristy just couldn’t find a place too her picky feline liking, Kristy asked. "So, did you find a place to eat after the movie?"

"I did." Sam answered with a smirk.

Kristy’s smirk matched Sam’s as she asked. “A surprise?”

"It is, but if you can guess it I'll tell you.”  
  
“Hmmm,” the bobcat giggled, “will you give me a hint or do I have to play 20 questions?” The cat’s smile hid her fears as the houses gave way to businesses and street lights.

"Alright, but first a hint. It's in town." Sam smiled inwardly to himself. 

“Oh so that's how it is, huh?” Kristy giggled, she looked away humming as she tapped her lip. “Let's look at the clues. You prefer to stay subtle rather than flaunt your cash, you know I'm not a high class kitty but that I love good food.” She hummed again. “Probably some nice little mom and pop restaurant?”

“Getting warmer.” Is all he said as his grin grew.

The bobcat’s hum grew as she thought. “Is it Billy Goat Sally’s Taste of the Bayou?” Kristy’s southern twang adding something indescribable to the restaurants mouthful of a name. “They do have a nice view of the university lake.”

Sam’s smile grew and he glanced over at her. “You’re no fun. You got it on the first try.” He chuckled.

Kristy giggled and smiled dreamily at Sam for a moment. “I’m a riot and you know it.” She felt a little bad about guessing the surprise but she was proud she did get it on the first try.

Sam had a dreamy look as he glanced over at Kristy, his smile turning soft. “You’re something alright.” He pulled into the parking lot of the theater and quickly found a spot. He stepped out and waited for Kristy to join him at the back so they could walk in together. He noticed she seemed to be touching up her makeup or maybe hypeing herself up before jumping out and joining him. “Ready?” the fox asked.

“Yup!” She smiled, giggling when Sam offered his arm, which she gladly took. The two walked side by side towards the theater. They didn’t say much as they stood in line to get popcorn and drinks both feeling like bashful, nervous kits again. With a large popcorn to share and a couple of drinks the couple made their way to the theater, getting a few looks of disapproval., they sat down in the middle of the center row of the theater. The showing was rather light on other mammals, freeing them to make little comments here and there and even playful flirting with a little pretend battle over whose arm got to use the armrest between them. Sam likes to think he won out by placing her arm over his and holding her paw. She didn’t seem to mind as she intertwined her fingers with his and stroked her thumb across his.

They remained like that till the end of the movie, not even letting go when it was over and they walked back to his truck. They only briefly let go when he opened the door for her to get in, she quickly reclaimed his paw once they were driving down the road again. Her worries were the farthest from her mind right now.

“So that was… interesting.” Sam wasn’t sure he enjoyed that kind of movie all that much. Right now he was trying to gauge Kristy’s take to see how many more of those he may have to endure, or find another genre she they both might like.

"Music was good." Kristy said thinking back to the movie, if she was honest Sam made the whole thing better. "But being based on a true story it didn't feel real." The bobcat sighed and smiled at Sam. "They just don't make musicals like they used to."

“I suppose not.” He replied as they pulled into the restaurant parking lot. Sam was happy she’d guessed somewhere that didn’t require reservations, as well as somewhere he liked. The two exited the truck and walked together towards the entrance. Kristy wanted to grab Sam's paw as they walked toward the building styled like a bayou plantation home. It had once been a fine dining restaurant but a few years ago the owners rebranded to a more casual place with a crab shack on the bayou look. However, its upper deck, with a view out over the large university lake, was as romantic as any fine dining place could be but with prices even a college student could stomach.

The food being worth a star or two was a great boon to.

When the couple reached the door Sam politely held it open for Kristy, eliciting a smile from the short tailed cat. Once inside, the two were immediately greeted by the smell of fresh seafood and cajun spices wafting through the air. The pair shared an appreciative grin before going up to the host stand. They didn't have to wait to be seated since it was a weeknight. The host asked where they'd like to sit and the two opted for the balcony. Once seated, and with their drinks ordered, the two looked over the menu.

Kristy couldn't help but look around curiously. Soft instrumental jazz flowed from hidden speakers throughout the balcony area. The tables were covered with white linens,  black chairs surrounded each table in this and fours. They were as comfy as they were fancy, with plenty of room for even Sam's bushy tail. All of the tables matched for the most part other than a few that were larger or smaller. The bouquets of flowers differed from table to table. It was to be expected flowers were a light snack too herbivores, just like the blackened grasshoppers that were placed on the table for Sam and Kristy. 

Most of the soft light came from a pair of crystal hanging chandeliers and a string of white lights around the balcony. The setting sun made the view of the University's lake picturesque. Made better by the two boats floating in the water. One was just a couple of kids fishing but the other didn't have any rods so Kristy liked to think that it was another couple having a romantic night hopefully without a question knowing at one of the mammal's minds.

Kristy's focus came back to the table and the menu in her paws. She really wanted to dig into a boil or a big surf and turf or maybe one of the chief specials. While she decided she let her eyes drift over to her date. She smiled at the gray fox as she spoke. "You know I played a couple gigs on a river boat that looked kind of like this." It wasn't what she wanted to say but it would do for now.

Sam grinned at that tidbit of information. "Oh really? And what was that like?"

"Well…" Before the bobcat could delve into the intricacies of life on the river, their waiter returned asking if they were ready to order. the surprised bobcat was asked first as the lady always should be. Not that Kristy ever considered herself a lady in the classic sense.

Deciding on something good but relatively inexpensive the bobcat ordered the chief's special prize winning Spot Prawn Gumbo. He enjoyed everything he’d ever tried in the past but couldn’t really think of anything spectacular that really stood out to him. So, instead, he ordered something he knew he would enjoy. Blackened redfish, the fish of the day. Caught fresh that day and served. 

The two continued with their small talk till their meals arrived. Giving them pause in the conversation as they enjoyed the delicious meals prepared for them. Even sharing bites with each other as they cutely fed one another over the table. Despite the fun they were having, Kristy did have that question she needed to ask. It was something Kno had brought up about a week ago. How did Sam not get charged with any of the crimes he was arrested for?

There was no easy way to get the answer but it was an important one. She didn't want to screw up again. Sam was a decent guy right now, but in his past who knew. "So um as much as I would love to regale you with stories of my wild days and I'm sure you got some great war stories." She probably didn't mean any of the fire fights Sam was in. "I um I got to ask about the run ins with the law you had." The bobcat's ears were low and Sam could read just how scared she was to just ask,the answer he might have was something altogether more terrifying.

Sam released a resigned sigh and wiped his muzzle with a napkin. 

"I was wondering when this might come up. What do you want to know?" He asked, ears folded back and eyes cast down.

The bobcat mewed and poked at her gumbo with her fork. "I...I hope you understand why I’m asking." She swallowed then looked at the gray fox hoping beyond hope that her first real mature choice in a relationship didn't just kill the chance at it continuing. "Just like what's the story with it."

"Well… I was in a very dark place after Victoria passed away. Add PTSD and depression on top, along with a toxic, alcoholic environment and you get one very angry fox with a lot of targets to go after." Sam spoke without ever looking up, his paws resting in his lap, self loathing in his voice.

Kristy blinked with her ears slowly rising as she says, "that's understandable." Kristy swallowed hoping Sam wouldn't take this the wrong way. "I guess if there's ever a reason to fall in the bottle you had a pretty good one." She forced a nervous chuckle. 

Sam's lips pulled up slightly, finally lifting his gaze from the table. "I think my liver would disagree." Genuine humor in his voice. 

"But hey look at yourself now, you put your life back together, got a great job, nice big truck and you’re the most stable guy this girl has ever dated." She chuckled nervously again, confused that she had become so awkward.

Sam snorted softly, he couldn't help but tease her a little to lighten the mood. "If by stable you mean emotionally recluse, yeah sure. I guess now you'd like to know why I was never actually charged with a crime or had any jail time?"

Kristy nodded looking very relieved, the first time she had ever been so relieved to be teased. "Yeah, Cause I don't think you turning on the water works and pouting would work like it does for me." 

"Oh! So you have used that old trick?" He asked somewhat amused.

A real giggle flowed from Kristy like the chiming of bells. "It's one of the tricks I keep up my sleeve." 

"Just one hu? Maybe one day you can show me your other tricks." He had a big grin as he imagined what some of the other tricks might be. "Anyway," he started, leaning his elbows on the table, "I was lucky, really. Everything that happened was on a military base and military police don't have any real police authority. They're more like high grade security guards. So every time I was arrested I was handed back to my unit for punishment. My commander was way more lenient than he should have been. I got demoted and had a lot of my pay taken away. I was eventually barred from reenlistment. Once I got out I had the opportunity to look myself in the mirror and see what I'd become. I was so ashamed of myself. I don't know how but I managed to straighten myself out enough to get in college and bury myself in books. All I did was study till I graduated. After that, I buried myself in work for years. I occasionally took the time to go places and see things but looking back I was like a shallow shell that was just adrift in an empty sea. And I didn't even realize it, that is, until I met you." He looked up at Kristy with a certain affection in his eyes as his chest grew warmer.

Kristy blinked at a loss for words. A few tears formed in the corners of her eyes. She blushed and smiled so overcome with emotion that he considered her so special. She wanted to say something. Tell him how much she appreciated him saying that, how much their stories were similar, maybe even that she was falling in love with him but all that came from her throat was a happy purr and a teary giggle.


	8. Bonding

That night was nothing short of magical, in the mundane real life sense. Love truly is a magical feeling. After they finished their dinner the two made their way back to Kristy’s home. Sam escorted the bobcat to her front door where the two stood looking at each other almost bashfully. Like two school kits on their first date.

“I had a good time.” Sam confessed.

Still riding the high of the night, Kristy smiled at Sam. The darkness of the night making her eyes shiny gold rings in pools of silky milk with the universe at their center. Or, at least, that's what Sam saw. "Me too." She smiled at the gray fox, her fingers playing with his, it was one of those moments more about actions than words. 

Sam tentatively leaned down, keeping his eyes on hers. Kristy lifted her chin and closed her eyes gently. Her heart raced as she sensed the fox get nearer. He felt her breath on his whiskers, just before their lips touched. It should have been awkward or even strange. Instead, it just felt right. The kiss was chaste, but either would describe it as perfect. Kissing a purring feline was new to Sam, the vibrating sensation pouring in from his lips sent a shiver up his spine.

  
For the first time in her life Kristy resisted the urge to grab Sam and pull him inside to her bed. After a moment they broke the kiss and Kristy smiled. “That made the night perfect.” She said, smiling at him with sparkling eyes.

Sam returned her smile and waited till she had retreated inside and closed the door. Some part of him wanted to make sure she was safe before he left. With what was probably a goofy smile, he made his way back to his truck and made the lonely drive home. 

Inside her home, Kristy leaned on the door, hugging her purse to her chest, a lbig dreamy smile across her muzzle. She wanted to sing, but before the ex-wannabe rock star belted out a love song, she remembered her little ones were asleep.

So she danced.

Humming a melody like a classic cartoon princess, Kristy danced through her house. In the darkness her eyes shined and skirt fluttered as she spun, setting her purse on the counter. She shook and sashayed past the kitchen and into the den, miming like she might dance with a partner. In her head Sam was with her as she circled the coffee table smiling as he pulled her close. She imagined his strong paws holding her to his ridged form. She was enjoying her fantasy, until her soft fluffy paw caught the shoulder strap of Stafano’s guitar. With a feline yowl and cophony of a tumbling instrument the bobcat fell.

Kristy hoped back up as Stefeno ran out into the living room unsure what to think was going on. Seeing Kirsty he asked. "You okay?" 

"Wonderful." Kristy said laughing at herself as she checked the state of the guitar. The well built instrument wasn't even scuffed. The feline sent the fox to bed with his guitar before heading to bed herself. After assuring the frightened chin that everything was okay and that the sounds were just Momma tripping on love, Kristy brushed her teeth and changed for bed. Exchanging text of goodnight before finally going to sleep snuggling with her daughter, bringing their perfect night to a perfect end.

While the night before was just about perfect, the next day most certainly wasn't. Cat's Meowsic was unusually busy for a Thursday, though Kristy was expecting it. Several new music books had been released, alongside a special edition of a Guns-n-Rodents album that only music stores like Cat's Meowsic would get. Add on the release of a line of guitars and basses customised to be like many big name musicians' signature  instruments, the bobcat knew it was coming and had scheduled accordingly. 

What she was not expecting was that half way through the busy morning, Kassidy would leave with Candy, the other manger on the floor. Needless to say, by the time lunch time rolled around, when the caracal and clouded leopard returned, both walking with a certain wobble in their legs, Kristy was oh so ready for her lunch break. Keeping the floor running and dealing with customers, angry that the limited inventory had run out, or that the mammals running the registers weren't robots or even just being assholes, all while keeping an eye on her daughter in the back, was tiring.

After informing her fellow manager what the situation was, Kristy slipped into the back. Today the cat was dressed nicely but simply, blue jean capris and a pink v neck blouse. Something that Kassidy stared at for a moment while he filled his coffee mug from the water fountain in the hall. Kristy ignored the childish tomcat as she passed, till he spoke. "Oh hey, Kristy, I know we talked about you keeping your new daughter here but I don't like that you're letting her play on the office computer."

The bobcat stopped and looked at the leopard. "She's just doing her school work." Kristy replied more confused than anything. "I got a laptop her size coming but it will be a bit." That was a lie, she couldn't afford one yet along with all the accessories to make it usable in Foxford, especially after paying the fees for the homeschooling Kristy had signed Orchid up for. 

"Well, whatever, she shouldn't be doing it on work computers." With his cup filled Kassidy headed to his own office. "I still might have to rethink letting her stay if she frightens the customers again." The day before yesterday, Orchid had to use the restroom and couldn't wait for Kristy. The chinchilla couldn't lock the door either. Thankfully the young motherly vixen was only startled, Orchid was mortified and swore she would never use the public bathroom again.

"Well, if I got that raise we talked about I could hire a nanny." Kristy said, trying not to growl. She had become very protective of Orchid lately. She wasn't just going to have anyone watch Orchid, it wasn't safe. Sadly, daycare and kindergarten were, more or less, out of the question for Orchid too.

"Like I said, I'll think about it." Kassidy said dismissively as he slipped into his office. In the office, Orchid was hard at work putting her otter sized crayons away. She was hungry and her adoptive mother always seemed to know when it was time to eat. She wore a union jack t-shirt and a blue jeans skirt. Kristy used to dress just like that, though she would have had added a spiked belt back in the day. She looked up to see the tired and more than a little angry face of her mother. Orchid quietly retreated behind the computer as the bobcat groaned and sank into her seat. The chinchilla wasn't actually frightened of Kristy, she hadn't so much as raised her voice to Orchid, it was just an old habit.

And it was dieing hard.

"It's okay Orchid, it was just rough out there." Kristy said with her sweet southern drawl. She smiled as Orchid hopped out from behind the computer and over to Kristy and emulated a feline purr. The cat responded with a purr of her own as she looked at her phone. Her smile grew seeing what Sam had texted her. "Oh look Sweetie, Sam's taking us to lunch." The Chinchilla didn't look over enthused to be out with the fox, yet again.

The bobcat however more than happily texted back.

_"Didn't get enough of me last night?"_

_"The night was far too short. I'll be there in a minute, meet me out front?"_

_"See you soon."_ The feline added a winky face to the text. She tossed her name tag on the desk, hooked her purse on her shoulder and scooped up Orchid before she made her way out the front door. A second later Sam pulled up in his big silver truck with the window rolled down.

"Hey good looking, you need a ride." He playfully called out.

"Well, thank you kindly stranger that would be much appreciated." The bobcat said, throwing more twang in her voice than normal, drawing a chuckle from Sam and a very confused look from Orchid. The bobcat giggled and opened up the back door of the truck, where a car seat for Orchid was strapped in. The chinchilla showed that she could buckle herself in and squeaked happily at being praised for doing so. A moment later Kristy climbed into the front seat, smiling at Sam with her sparkling eyes. She leaned in wanting to give Sam a hello kiss.

An invitation Sam eagerly accepted,  as Orchid quietly cringed in the back seat. Once Kristy was buckled in, Sam pulled out of the parking lot which was much harder then normal.

“Store looks busy today. Do we need to keep it quick or do you wanna take a full break?”

Kristy's jaw line hardened for a moment as she stared at the store. “Let’s take our time.” her face and gaze softened as she turned her view to Sam.

He noticed how she tensed up when she looked at her work place, deciding something must have happened but didn't think he should pry. 

"Did you have something in mind? Burgers? Burritos?"

"Umm I'm feeling fajitas, so Mexicat i guess." The bobcat looked back at Orchid. "That sound good?" The little chinchilla nodded. Kristy smiled brightly as she looked back at Sam. "You heard the little lady."

Sam smiled, pushing the accelerator to make the truck drop a gear and growl like a charging beast. "Yes ma'am!"

He was going to take them to an actual Mexicat restaurant until Kristy pointed to a Horseapplebees along the way. They quickly pulled into the parking lot and made their way inside. The smell of the lunch time rush was wonderful, all three mammals noses were wiggling as they sniffed at the air. Even little Orchid was entranced by the smells, she pushed away from Kristy’s chest to get a few good nosefulls. Her little mouth watering and whiskers bounced cutely as she investigated the smells. Something she never used to do.

The mismatched group was waiting in line for the hostess when something or more particularly someone caught Kristy’s eye. The bobcat spied a certain coyote in line for pick up. Kristy giggled and turned to Sam. “I’ll be right back.” She let Orchid jump to Sam’s paws before slipping away, the fox could feel the little chin was somewhat nervous but didn't give more than a light protest as the smells distracted her.

Sam watched as his girlfriend headed towards a familiar coyote. A frown pulled at the his lips as he recognized the canine. Sam still hadn’t forgiven Kno for what he’d done that night at the club. The gray fox followed behind Kristy, entertained by how she slipped from one piece of cover to the other, and the faces of the confused mammals watching her. Sam just slowly walked a few steps behind her in the open, as the coyote seemed distracted.

He stood in a mostly clean white take top and worn jeans waiting for his order to be ready. It was frustrating to place an order online and it not be ready when it was supposed to be, especially when you had things to do. He shifted his weight to the other leg as his knee started to feel strained, subtly moving one paw down to pinch the spare tire that was starting to form around his stomach. He frowned as he realized age and the stress of becoming a first time father were starting to catch up to him. He’d have to go on a strict diet once the little one was finally here. He was pulled from his musings when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket.

“Hey loverbutt.” Kno answered after seeing it was his wife calling.

_“Are you okay? You’ve been gone for a while.”_ The skunk's voice came through the phone speaker clearly to more than just the coyote.

“Yeah, but this line sucks… Uh, also… I’m pretty sure I smell like you…” He brought his paw up and held the phone away as he quietly sniffed at his arm. “Yup, definitely smell like you”

_“Good, it’ll keep all the skanks away.”_

Kristy had krept directly behind him, crouching slightly as she prepared to pounce. Sam was standing beside her, both stood frozen at the last bit. It was hard not to burst out laughing. Orchid was more concerned with the smell of food than anything, her little blue eyes half lidded almost drunk on the smell as she watched a tray of fresh chips.  
  
“Well, you know-”   
  
“It doesn’t work on all of them!” Kristy said into the phone over Kno’s shoulder, cutting off his own quip and punctuating it with a noisy kiss on his cheek.   
  
The coyote yelped and spun around startled almost bumping into the fox in front of him. “K-Kristy! What are you doing here?”   
  
The bobcat smiled happily and nodded to Sam behind her. Holding Orchid in one paw the fox gave a simple wave with a mildly amused expression. "Oh." Knoton replied with a growing smile. "He treating you right?"

Kristy looked back at Sam with a dreamy smile and sparkly honey brown eyes. "Yeah." She smirked at Kno. "How's Roxxie treatin' you?"

The coyote let out a slightly annoyed sigh as he slouched a bit. "Fine, it's just been a little… rough with all the hormones and-" it was about this time that he was reminded that he was still on the phone with a certain skunk.

_"Rough! You try carrying-"_ The rest was cut off as Kno put his paw over the phone's speaker and grabbed his order, which had finally arrived. 

"Well it was nice seeing you guys, we'll have to catch up later." He then turned to leave and put the phone back to his ear. 

_"You wait till I get my paws on your scrawny tail!"_

"I know, I know…"

Sam stared, wide eyed, as the coyote left. Kristy giggled seemingly unphased as she said. "Later Kno! We all should double date sometime." She giggled and trotted back over to Sam and retrieved her daughter. "Well that made the day better."

Sam gave an undecided grunt. “Hmm, I guess.” He then walked to the hostess to check in while Kristy claimed a couch to wait for their table. Once, the hostess had him written down, Sam went back to wait with his girls.  
  
Kristy sat with a fading smile as Orchid looked up at her with a face of a needy angel. That was, at least, what the bobcat saw, Sam just thought she looked hungry. However, the face of his girlfriend was of more concern to the fox. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

The bobcat's ears flushed as she realised he could read her worry. So not to worry Orchid during this serious talk Kristy distracted her with a phone game. Some spelling game the child loved. While holding the device Kristy looked up at Sam. "It's nothing really. Normal work stuff." That was a lie and both knew it.

He looked at her for just a moment before glancing down at Orchid then back at her. “Maybe you can tell me about it later?” He hoped she didn’t think he was just blowing it off.

Kristy sighed. "Well it's not that big a deal really just..."

"Chola party of three?" The hostess called out, barely getting Sam's name right. The three followed the vixen to a table, Sam and Kristy sat across from each other and Orchid sat on the table top. They were quickly brought a bowl of chips and their drink orders were taken, fortunately, they both already knew what they wanted and it only took a moment to find something Orchid would eat. 

With the orders placed, Kristy took a moment to set Orchid up with the activities on the kids' menu. Finally, she looked at Sam and spoke. "Anyway." She picked up a tortilla chip and stirred the salsa while sighing, unknowingly catching the eye of the little one at the table. "Work is just being… Well, you've met my boss so you can guess what I mean."

"Mmm, I'm not going to get another call to fix the internet am I?" He said with a smirk, trying to lift her spirits. Tiny paws pattered across the table for a moment.

The bobcat smiled and got herself a chip full of salsa. She purred and commented on the good salsa. "Maybe. But now he's being a different kind of pain in the a-." She caught her tongue as Orchid inched closer to the chip bowl on all fours with her tail high. "Tail." Kristy finished.

Sam's eyes widened when she caught herself, glancing at Orchid briefly to see if she'd noticed anything. Thankfully, she seemed only interested in going after the salsa.

"How so?" He asked.

A moment before Kristy spoke Orchid leapt into the air aiming for the bowl of chips, but with reflexes honed from experience, Kristy caught the chinchilla mid air and brought her close to hold in her lap. Orchid protested lightly till she was given a chip to munch on. However, from the look on her face, it wasn't nearly as good as she thought judging from her little pouty cheeks. 

Kristy giggled and rubbed Orchid's head with a smile. "If only my boss thought you were as cute as I do." The chinchilla looked from her chip to the salsa and sniffed.

"He doesn't like Orchid?" Sam asked, sounding concerned. 

"He says he doesn't mind her being there but..." Kristy paused as she found a small chip and dipped it in the salsa before giving it to the chin to try then looked back to Sam. "He said she could stay at my station in the office, but then he whines that her toys were on it, or that she was doing school work on my computer." She sighed. "I tried to ask for a raise so I could get a nanny but..." Her brow furrowed. "If any one got a raise it was him and it wasn't on paper, if you catch my drift." Orchid was happily munching the mildly spicy salsaed chip, seemingly not paying attention. Till the heat got too much for her and she wiggled free and hopped over to her glass of milk for a drink. Even the child's cup was half as tall as her.

Sam frowned at that. His mind started wondering about ways to help, fortunately, they were distracted when their meal arrived. The rest of the time was spent just enjoying each other's company and conversation was lite. All too soon Kristy’s lunch break was up and Sam had to drop her off back at the music store, after a nice kiss of course.

Back in the office while Kristy was putting her purse away and hanging her lanyard with her name tag in it around her neck, Orchid looked up and said. "Sorry."

Kristy froze and looked at her daughter concerned. "For what sweetie?"

"Being trouble." 

Kristy blinked and then gently scooped up Orchid and hugged her. "Orchid you're my sweet, little flower. And you're not the problem." Feeling the warmth of her mother's embrace, Orchid timidly nuzzled her back. 

0o0o0o0o0o0

Thankfully the rest of Kristy's work day was easier with all paws on deck. Kassidy had left while Kristy was on lunch. He did that a lot, not that Kristy minded, it made the rest of the day more pleasant.

On the way home, Kristy and Orchid stopped at the grocery store for a few things. After accidentally scaring Orchid with crab legs, something the bobcat grabbed cause they were on sale, she made it up to her by grabbing her some of the paw made jelly beans the store sold. Other than the citrus ones, Orchid loved them.

The candy wasn't the only thing Kristy bought that was new for her. Juice boxes, veggie snacks, wood chews and plenty of healthy veggies, as Kristy checked the deal on sliced cheese it dawned on her how differently she shopped now. Not that she minded, Orchid was worth it after all.

Meanwhile, Orchid sat in the basket seat, safe and sound on a blanket designed to make the seat more comfortable and sanitary. It even provided convenient pockets and cup holders. The young chinchilla sat nibbling on a jelly bean as an older capybara leaned over the basket, startling Orchid as she spoke. "Excuse me, young lady, where is your mother?"

Orchid hunkered down in fear till she heard Kristy's voice drawing near. "Excuse me, why are you talking to my daughter?"

As the bobcat scooped up Orchid and held her close the nosey rodent stammered out. "Your daughter? How? You're a-"

"A what?" 

"A cat."

Kristy blinked confused. "Yeah and I'm dating a fox. Who says I can't be a chinchilla's mother?" She chuckled dismissively and turned to pull her cart away. "That's how you deal with busy-bodies, put them in their place and move on." Orchid whined and hid her face. 

Before Kristy could dwell on how offended she was, she heard her phone ring. She checked to see if the busy body was following her. Noting that she was gone, Kristy stopped to shift Orchid to one side and pulled her phone out of her purse. Seeing it was Riley calling. "Howdy, cousin, what's up?"

"Could you be any more country right now?" Riley replied with a laugh. 

"Well I think I could." Kristy replied playing up her accent even more. Orchid just watched and stifled a giggle. Kristy pushed her cart along with one arm and her hip.

"Guess you could. Anyway," Riley said, shifting to why he actually called, "so apparently you bought a bed for Orchid?" 

"Yeah. Did it finally show up?"

"Yep I thought Stefano and I might put it together for ya." Riley replied with a smile in voice.

"Oh thank you. Well I was going to put it in my room so just like wait a bit I'll be home in about twenty minutes we can figure it out then."

"Got'cha." 

As Kristy hung up she got an idea and looked at Orchid. Feeling safe again, the chinchilla wiggled her whiskers and looked at the jelly beans in the cupholder. She let her fluffy daughter down to finish her snacks. "I think those boys could use some help." Orchid looked up with a mouth full of a jelly bean and smiled. She nodded only half understanding what she was agreeing too.

Before picking a lane to buy her groceries Kristy called Sam. A gentle purr in her throat as she waited for her boyfriend to answer. 

_"Hey!"_ He happily answered. 

"Hey, baby." Kristy greeted with a cute giggle. "What'cha doing tonight?"

_"Hmm, that's a good question, what am I doing tonight?"_

"Well, maybe I could give you something to do." Kristy let the innuendo hang for a moment as she unloaded her cart.

Sam chuckled on the other end of the line. _"Ha ha, barely dating and you're already making a honey-do-list? What have I gotten myself into?"_

 "I don't mean it like that." She checked the cart was empty, seeing it was, Kristy picked up Orchid and her blanket. "I got some king crab legs and I thought we might cook them up after I get some help from ya." 

_"And what kind of help might that be?"_

"Oh nothing much." Kristy giggled as her items were scanned. "Just supervise my cousin and Stefano as they build the bed I bought for Orchid." Her giggle revealed the work was more of a formality to hang out with him again.

_"Supervise hu? I guess I can manage that. What time do you want me to come over?"_

"Sooner the better but whenever is good really." The feline said as she smiled to greet the cashier.

_"Alright, I'll start heading that way then. See you soon."_

"See ya soon." She replied making a kissing sound.

Sam smiled as he hung up the phone, having someone give him pet names again made him feel good inside. He figured Kristy was probably about to check out of the grocery store and then head home. He'd just finished changing the oil in his old jeep and decided it would be good to run it a little. He usually took the truck whenever he did anything with Kristy because it was nicer. But they weren't going anywhere today. 

He went inside and cleaned the grease and oil from his fur, changed into clean clothes and used a little cologne, just in case. The ride over was uneventful, Kristy was already home and unloading the groceries from the trunk of her car. He had to admit, he enjoyed the view as she bent at the waist to get another bag out.

The feline's tail wiggled as she grabbed the last couple of bags. She had heard a vehicle coming down the road and when the old jeep stopped at her driveway, she knew who it was. Kristy stood and looked the jeep over before her eyes were locked on Sam and her smile grew. "Howdy." She greeted, as she met the grey fox halfway up the drive, bags in both paws, hoping for yet another kiss.

Sam, smiling as he got out, went to meet her, and didn't disappoint. He gave her a quick kiss before relieving her of the bags she was carrying and apologizing for not getting there sooner to help.

"Sorry for taking so long, had to wash all the grease out after servicing Shelley."

Kristy giggled and looked at the Jeep. “Dirty girl huh?” She purred and walked with Sam, pausing at her own car to close the empty truck. “Glad you like them dirty.” She giggled as she followed Sam into her kitchen.

It was the first time Sam had been in Kristy's house, he walked over to the table where the rest of the bags were placed, adding his to the group as he looked around.

"This is nice." He said in a chipper voice, smiling back at Kristy as she closed the door. Sam wasn't sure what he was expecting about the inside of his girlfriend's home. The walls were the tan of the ancient savannah. The cabinets were dark brown as was the kitchen table. All the appliances matched each other with their silver finish.

The living room had the same paint on the walls as the kitchen. Knowing the bobcat was a rocker, Sam expected the walls would be a collage of band postures and maybe even street signs and venue ads, there were none. The walls were clean, simple, mature even, but not barren like his own. However, over the couch there was a poster of Kristy’s old band. The living room set was made from orange and brown fabric. They had seen a little attention from its owner’s claws. A modern flat screen and a dvd player sat in the entertainment center. The collection of movies on the shelf had recently grown with a younger skew. 

"Not what I expected, but nice."

Kristy’s ears perked and she looked up from putting the groceries away then at her boyfriend. “Not sure what that means.” She smirks a little.

"I guess I was expecting more of the rock scene on display. Pictures of your band and maybe the odd poster here and there. Speaking of…" Sam stepped into the living room and looked up to the poster of a fox sitting in the middle of the front seat of a muscle car paws raised to the roof with drum sticks. In front of the car was a cute opossum stomp dancing with her bass guitar, a belly shirt and tight jeans. Kristy and Roxxie were jumping off the cars hood with their guitar held tight as they played mid air. Roxxie wearing tight leather pants and their own band shirt fluttering up to show a dangerous amount of her torso. Kristy’s red dress showed plenty of her thighs, though the position of her legs kept her decent. 

The gray fox turned from the poster to say hello to Orchid, who was entranced with her obscured reflection in the polished washers in a bag on the table, the rest of the bed parts were neatly laid out on the floor between the table and TV. The child squeaked a greeting as Kristy finished putting the groceries away. “Yeah, thought it would be a bit tacky if I covered the house in posters.” She giggled as she looked at the poster, joining the two in the living room. “But… well, I can't give up the only bit of glory I had from those days.”

Sam smiled as he looked at the poster, wondering what it might have been like to meet Kristy back then. He turned away from the poster and looked over the assembled parts. "So, were all the parts in the package?"

"Uhh..." Kristy says looking at all the parts and packages on the table and floor. "I think so. Riley and Stefano took it all out so you would have to ask them." A muffled thump from down the hall made Kristy's ear twitch. "I think they might have finished making space."

The sound of a door opening and Stefano claiming to be stronger than he looked came from the hall. A moment later the young males came around the corner. Stefano the red fox wore a simple tank top and jeans having left his normal shirt in his room. 

Riley was beside the purebred red fox, like all mammals Sam didn't immediately recognise what he was. The dark silver fur with 'ghost' markings spoke to a jaguar lineage, But his size was closer to Kristy's with a build that spoke to another of the short tailed cats, but he had a long tail. Least he dressed nice, in a blue polo and jeans. Spying the fox Riley stepped toward him.

"Ah! You must be the famous Sam." Riley said, taking the gray fox's paw. The young cat had a good grip. "I'm Riley."

Kristy giggled and stepped up beside them grinning as she spoke. "Riley and his parents took me in when the band broke up. They became a surrogate family so to speak." She smiled and looked between the two.

"Pleasure to meet you...good to see you again Stefano." Sam said with a smile, the younger fox gave a nod. "I guess you two already got started on the house?"

"Yeah we just did an inventory and cleared a spot in Kristy's room for it. Wanna lend a paw putting it together?"

"Sure." The three set about going over the instructions and putting the proper pieces together. At first it was a bit slow until the three hit a stride and were in sync with the flow and started working like a well oiled machine.

 Orchid watched with a growing excitement, finally she would have her own space in the house. Though she did nervously shy away from helping what little she was asked to do, mostly find a screw or other fasteners. Her mother would normally find the piece and encourage Orchid to take it over to whoever asked for it.

Kristy eventually began preparing the crab legs, leaving Orchid to watch the build. The bobcat stole Sam for a moment to help her move the big pot to the stove when it was full of water. After a quick peck, something that Kristy was all too greedy to get, she sent Sam back to help move the partially assembled bed into her room. The bobcat turned on the stove burner, then picked up Orchid so 'the ladies' could tell the male folk what looked best.

The blue and white castle bed did stand out in the room with its gold walls and dark red oak furniture. However, the clashing aesthetic didn't really bother the single mother, as she split her time between keeping an eye on her daughter as she watched curiously from the chest of drawers and preparing dinner. The bobcat smiled, her little tail wiggling excitedly.

While the boys were assembling the steps the doorbell rang. Kristy looked toward the front of the house. "Who could that be?" The feline wondered. "I got it." She called to the back of the house.

The bell rang again as Kristy walked to the front door. She looked through the peephole and growled to herself. "What the hell is he doing here?" Chad was at her door, staring intently at the doorbell before ringing it again.

"Dude, stop!" Kristy growled as she opened the door, cringing at the smell of stale beer and maybe vomit. The brownish male bobcat wore a steel gray and black silk shirt, a damp splotch circled and dripped down his chest. A few buttons were missing revealing his white chest fur was stained with something. His blue jeans were dirty and damp with what Kristy hoped was a drink someone poured in his lap. 

"Chad what the hell are you doing here?" Kristy hissed quietly, half hiding behind the door. She hoped he would leave before the others knew he was here.

"Oh hey, babe." Chad replied, stumbling as he turned to look at his ex. His movement was off, jerky, jittery, he wasn't just drunk and the wild look in his eyes frightened her. "I know we had that big fight a while back and well, now that you had time to calm down, I think it's time we start over. Got a great new job as head chef at Jungle Grill, just had a great party, now I just need you to make it all perfect."

Kristy rolled her eyes and snorted. “Dude, I’ve already got a boyfriend, and I don’t want a drunk like you around my daughter.” She then tried to close the door only to have Chad stop her.   
  
The tom forced the door open, his jovial mood suddenly replaced with rage. "Lying Mouser!" He snarled, grabbing Kristy's wrist before she could get away. “You ain't got no real male in thar giving it to ya. And that vermin ain't your daughter.” Kristy tried to yank her wrist free but Chad’s grip was just too firm, he had never been this strong before. 

Kristy had thought about this kind of thing, a fear that popped up from time to time for any mammal when they're alone. She always thought she would have the chance to get to her purse and the pistol she kept there so she did the next best thing. “Let go of me, Asshole!” She snarled, her claws now out and fangs bared in frightened anger. Mouser was insulting to most cats but it hurt Kristy a whole lot more.

The next moment was something of a blur. Kristy heard Riley and Stefano yell from down the hall, causing her to turn her head to call to them and Sam for help. As she did, she saw what she soon realized was Sam running toward them. 

Chad, in his drunken state, was slower to react, turning just in time to see the glowing red eye shine of a fox before getting the wind knocked out of him. Kristy pulled back as Chad’s grip slackened, her wrist slipping free. Chad stumbled back and out of the door. His claws scraping the walkway as he caught himself. His fur stood on end as he glared at the gray fox, holding his stomach and wheezing hard. Kristy quickly regained her balance and snarled as she stepped up beside Sam, her own claws scraping the tile floor while Sam reached out to hold her back.  
  
Still trying to catch his breath, Chad growled. “Who the-fuck are-you?!” He bared his fangs and claws, not backing down.

Sam didn’t answer, only tilting his head towards Kristy as he whispered. “Call the cops.”

“On it.” Kristy replied, turning around.  
  
Chad’s ears shot up as he yelled. “Hey! Get back here!” He growled and started back for the door. Riley and Stefano came running around the separating half wall of the kitchen to see what's going on. 

Just in time to see Sam lock the door, and pull it shut behind him as he stepped out. Kristy called his name as both Riley and Stefano stopped confused.

The tom cat blinked and stared at the grey fox. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Chad growled stepping closer to Sam trying to intimidate him.

“Last chance, leave or you’ll regret it.” Sam said calmly, shifting his weight slightly to get better balance.

Chad lunged at Sam claws aimed at his head. Sam expected that and ducked below the blow, bringing his right in for a jab into the bobcat’s ribs. The veteran fox stepped around Chad hoping to keep his attention on him. The bobcat didn't really feel the punch and just swung his paw around, just catching Sam’s arm with his claws. He let out a yelp as he stumbled into the yard clutching his bleeding forearm.

The bobcat turned to the door. He smiled till Stefano yanked it open yelling. “Vai via testa di cazzo! e non osare tornare mai più!” All the anger caused him to revert to his native tongue. Chad was about to snarl at the red fox when Sam grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, bringing his fist to the side of the cat's face.

The tom had dismissed the gray fox till he stumbled sideways from the blow, with a snarl Chad lunged at Sam fangs first. This time Sam met him head on. The two locked up, grappling for control of the other, both clawing, biting like animals. Going from standing at the door to all fours in the yard as Riley and Stefano joined.

Not thinking straight, Chad tried to fight all three of the males. Sam being the only one with training was able to get Chad on his back while he tried to fend off the younger two males. Sam wrestled to control the cat with drunk strength. The two rolled and struggled to gain control over the other. Somehow Chad had managed to tip Sam off the top of him. Stefano tried to jump in, only to catch a punch in the muzzle. Riley stopped in his tracks to avoid the gnashing jaws of the bobcat. Chad managed to get to his paws under him and focused on Stefano and Riley. Allowing Sam to come from behind and wrap Chad in a sleeper hold, trying to render the doped up cat unconscious. Stefano and Riley both stepped in and restrained Chad’s arms before he could try and claw at Sam’s face. The bobcat strained to get free, managing to pull both the younger males to their knees. So Sam forced the cat down. Chad growled and kicked with black beginning creep around the sides of his vision. 

Till a bottle suddenly shattered over his head, rendering everything dark. 

Sam jumped off the limp body breathing hard from exertion, he looked to Kristy. “I had him.” He said between breaths.

Kristy growled, holding the neck of what was left of a whiskey bottle, her fur puffed out and ears back. "You didn't hear what he called me." She trembled while Riley shook some glass and whiskey from his fur as he sat up, Stefano rolled on his back and rubbed his chin. 

Sam stepped over the unconscious form of Chad, reaching for Kristy when-

_WHOOP! WHOOP!_

A police car pulled up and two officers, a fox and bunny, jumped out and shouted commands.

“Everyone on the ground! Paws behind your head!” The bunny yelled.

“Kristy?” Sam said in a calm voice, trying to get the dazed cat out of what looked like a rage induced trance.

The bobcat shook her head and looked at the car and it's flashing lights. "Drop the bottle lady." The fox ordered his paw on his sidearm, his other paw extended out toward her.

Thankfully for all involved Kristy looked at the bottleneck like she didn't even realize she had it and tossed it in the grass. She followed the order to lie face down and put her paws on her head like the rest of her family did.

Everyone was cuffed and separated, more police cruisers had pulled up within a few minutes and everyone was questioned, before an ambulance pulled up. Bites and clawed marks were cleaned and bandaged, thankfully only Chad needed stitches. When they were finished, it was clear who was in the wrong and a still unconscious Chad was carted off. Soon only the first officers on the scene remained and were speaking with the fox and bobcat.

"We're just glad everything worked out." Sam said in response to an apology. The officers were only following procedure after all. Kristy had invited the two officers inside to finish talking, save dinner and to comfort Orchid. Who despite not seeing anything heard most of it and it frightened her something awful.

Sam and Kristy sat on the couch beside each other as Kristy held Orchid. Sam's arm was around the bobcat's shoulders as his tail was between them, with the tip over her thigh. Something the two officers kept glancing at. Officer Hopps sat in one of the chairs as Officer Wilde leaned against its side. Riley and Stefano had gone to finish Orchid's bed after giving statements. 

"Well, I don't think you'll have to worry about him anytime soon. Assault along with attempted breaking and entering should be enough to put him away for a good long while." Officer Hopps stated. 

"So much for that new job of his." Officer Wilde quipped.

Kristy shook her head. "He's never been like this before. He had a temper and could be loud but never this crazy." She looked down at Orchid who was curled up asleep in her arms. The bobcat's ears twitched remembering what he said. "So glad I threw him out when I did."

The two officers shared a glance before looking back. "Well, if there's anything else we can do, just give us a call." Officer Hopps stood and presented a business card which Sam accepted on Kristy's behalf. 

"Thank you, and if I may ask, why's the ZPD here in Foxford?" 

"Oh! We're here as part of an exchange program with some of the outer areas around Zootopia. It allows us to be familiar with other agencies we often work with and their procedures." Hopps explained professionally despite her obvious excitement. While she was talking, Officer Wilde had made his way beside his partner. 

"Yeah, and this rotation has been most educational." As he spoke, his own tail wrapped around his partner's waist, causing Hopps's eyes to widen and the pink of her ears to darken. 

Sam's eyes widened as well. A fox never let anyone they didn't consider family touch their tail. He glanced down at his own, resting in Kristy's lap. Officer Wilde let his tail drop down and the pair said their goodbyes before showing themselves out. Sam released a sigh and leaned back into the cushions. Pulling Kristy with him.

Kristy thought the display with the two officers was very curious. It was like she was supposed to know something but was drawing a complete blank. She leaned into Sam, resting her head on his shoulder as the adrenaline from the day's events was wearing off. Something rubbing against her leg drew her attention and she looked down to see the tip of Sam's tail resting on her thigh. She looked up to Sam as she finally realised why the tail thing stood out to her.

"Do reds take it slow like greys?" She asked.

Sam thought for a moment. "I think so. They don't grieve for as long as we do if they lose a mate but we're fairly similar. Why? Are you looking to trade me in for a different model?" He gently bit one of her ears. It twitched out of his grip as she giggled.

"No just wondering how long Officer Hopps had to wait." Kristy said with a smile and leaned her head on Sam's shoulder. Her purrs so deep it shook his whole body. Leaving him to wonder how Orchid slept held to her mother's chest like she was..

Sam let out an amused hum. "You got it backwards."

“What do you mean?”

"With reds, it's the female who leads." He explained. 

Kirsty mewed and looked up at Sam, blinked and commented. “Interesting, so it's the opposite with grays?”

"More of a mutual progression. We try to sense how fast or slow the other wants to go and meet somewhere in the middle."

Kristy looked up at Sam's face, a pleading pout ready for him. "Baby, if it's not too fast for you, can you spend the night?"

"Yeah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Put the notes here so there would be no spoilers. Need to send another big thanks out to our friends Knoton and Roxxie, LapisLucius42, Crawfol and Mysterygirl22 for allowing us to use their Zoosonas and OCs in this story. This has been an awesome project and extremely enjoyable to write.


	9. Yesterdays lead to Today's Tomorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to BrutusDeagon, FirnenOne and MysteryGirl22 for the use of their Sona's in this story!

_Huff_

_Huff_

_Puff Puff Puff_

Sam's ears twitched to the sound of heavy breathing and quick footfalls. He listened for a while as his mind slowly started turning gears. Eventually, his eyes began to crack open, and when they were able to take in the sight before him, he immediately felt awake. 

Kristy huffed and puffed as she followed an exercise video on the tv. For Sam’s sake she had turned the sound down low, following the beat from memory. Her paws went up and out then down with the weights helped to keep her tone.Kristy did this rock based dance exercise most mornings, so remembering the beat was easy. The dance she did on and around the step with the lime green weights on her ankles and wrist kept her arms and legs nice and firm and her butt tight. Something her workout gear showed off perfectly. Purple yoga pants that followed every natural curve of her smooth feline body from her waist down to her mid thighs. The smooth perfect lines only marred by a knee support on her left leg. Much of her spotted silver form was left bare by the dark blue sports bra she wore.   
  
On the table in a flowing white children's nightgown with purple polka-dots. Orchid copied her adoptive mother’s work out dance. Using a music book as the step. However, after a few reps of whatever the actions Kristy did, Orchid would grow bored and just dance around in an adorable fashion. Before copying the work out again when it switched up the moves.

Finally, the long manned female Zebra on screen shook out her arms and the frantic workout music became calmer. She said something about stretching and cooling down. Kirsty was panting slightly, much like Orchid who was waiting for breakfast now. After shaking out her arms and legs just like the mammal on screen Kristy bent forward with a slight tired groan and placed both front paws on the step. Sam had a great view of everything. From how the short tailed cat's bobtail twitched as she stretched to how the word mom fit perfectly on Kristy’s rump, even some hidden biblical details.

Sam's eyes bulged wide from the view. Before now it was simply entertaining to watch his new girlfriend prance around and observe the curves of her body. But now, with her tight fitting clothes and compromising position? Sam felt a hunger awaken within him. Causing a deep growl to grow in his throat without him even realizing it. 

Orchid jumped as the growl rumbled past her, causing her to trip on the book she was dancing around. the young chin scrambled back to her paws and stood looking at the slumbering fox, her nose wiggling and whiskers bouncing wildly. She panted slightly more startled than anything.

"Woe dude!" Kristy exclaimed, forgetting her stretches as she stood and looked at Sam. "Did I wake you, or is that how you always sound?" The bobcat's tail was puffed out much like her daughter. Least it didn't remind her of last night.

Sam immediately went silent as his ears pinned back and eyes widened. He brought a paw to his muzzle and clamped it over it. 

“Sorry!” He said through his fingers. “I didn’t mean to scare you!”

Kristy smiled and stretched her arm across her chest. “It's cool.” She grunted and sighed as she released her arm. “Want some coffee?” The feline asked, as she repeated the stretch with the other arm. Orchid cringed before adopting a contemplative look. “Stefano made a small pot before heading to school. Kit makes some good coffee.” Her voice strained by the stretching.

Sam let his paw down, still looking a little worried, he excused himself to use the restroom. Once there, he took care of his business and used the time to settle himself down. That possessive, hungry growl had come out of nowhere. Sam didn’t know if Kristy could tell the difference between the different types of growls he could vocalize or not. It would be something they’d need to discuss at some point in the future, if they stayed together. With a final deep breath, he made his way towards the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Orchid sat on the counter, sniffing at a coffee mug while her mother was preparing her breakfast. The child would cringe and lean away from the smell before returning to sniff it again. Kristy picked up a plate with some apple slices and some fluffed honeyed hay. A tasty and healthy breakfast for a growing chinchilla. The bobcat smiled at Sam and asked. “Hungry, I can make some real food if you want or just something quick?” As she picked up her cup and let Orchid climb up her arm. The mother giggled cutely as she heard Orchid’s little tummy rumble. She left Orchid with her plate on the table then hurried over to the coffee pot to pour a cup for Sam.

“Just coffee’s fine, thanks.” Sam accepted the cup from the bobcat and sat at the table, waiting for her to join him. “I actually can’t stay long. I have a new neighbor moving in today and I told him I’d help him move in.” 

Kristy smiles and asks. “Is this a neighbor I should be jealous of.” She poured some flavored creamer from the fridge into her cup then held the bottle out to offer Sam some. Both the fox and chinchilla noticed how it was birthday cake flavor.

“No thank you.” The fox smiled. “I don’t know, he seemed quite nice.” He joked.

Kristy nodded and smiled as she put the creamer back. She stole a kiss and sat beside the fox and purred. After a long sip of her warm coffee she set it down, Orchid stepped closer and sniffed again. Kristy watched her daughter and then looked up at Sam. "How'd you meet him?"

Sam’s head would fall off if his smile could get any bigger after that morning kiss. “He was fixing a couple of things in the house last week and we got to talking. He’s a book dealer, strange enough.” He explained, taking another drink from his mug.

"Book dealer! He need a store manager by chance?" Kristy giggled reaching for her mug. The bobcat noticed Orchid looking into her mug. "It's warm, but you can taste it sweetie." Kristy looked back at Sam and giggled before watching her daughter almost climb on the cup to taste it.

Sam raised an eyebrow when Kristy said Orchid could taste her coffee, then watched as the little chinchilla took a few testing laps before scrunching her face and darting around the table so quickly the adults could barely keep up. She finally jumped at the plate Kristy had prepared for her and started munching, desperately trying to get the taste out of her mouth as she made pretend gagging noises. He smiled when he realized she was just being a normal, overdramatic kit that tasted something she didn’t like.

“That bad at work?” Sam asked, cringing as he thought about the things Kristy had said before.

Kristy giggled and Orchid sat up with her mouth full of hay many springs poking out to the sides as she glared at her mother. "Hey I had to grow into liking too." The feline sipped her coffee and meowed. "Yeah, like I said yesterday Kassidy's a spoiled brat." She shrugged. "I'll find something that hopefully pays better."

“Well, I don’t know for sure, but I think there’s a position that’s about to open at my office, if you’re interested.” He said, trying not to sound too informed. Taking another drink from his mug as he looked straight ahead.

"Maybe we could work together, like installing servers? Sounds cute." The bobcat commented, putting the image of herself dressed like Rosie the Riveter in her mind. While Sam envisioned her wearing tight khaki capris and a tighter polo with all the front buttons undone. Causing the scene from this morning to come back.

Sam chuckled, both at what he envisioned and what she thought she might be doing. “Not likely, maybe on rare occasions or if you go back to school to get a degree in IT. I'm pretty sure the position would be more along the lines of a personal secretary for the owner of the company. Helping with payroll, schedules, that type of thing.”

"I'll have to think about it." She smiles at Sam. "What's your boss like?"

Sam leaned back with a giant grin. “Oh, he’s a great guy. Really intelligent, nice guy. I don’t usually say this about other males but he’s quite the looker.” He then got a real serious face. “I may not like this idea actually.” Raising a paw up to his chin, contemplatively.

Kristy leaned over and purred and smiled. "Oh really. You think he's that good looking?" She giggled getting closer, Orchid looked up and rolled her eyes and walked around the plate to put her back to the adults. With a playful smirk Kristy asked. "Is he married?" 

Sam pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, definitely don’t like this idea.” He then broke into a grin and pressed his lips to hers. Kristy returned the kiss purring as she tested Sam's boundaries and placed her paw on his thigh.

Sam's tail started to wag behind him at the contact. He slowly pulled away and placed his paw on top of hers, giving it a gentle squeeze before lifting it just enough so he could stand. 

"Well, I need to get going. Are you going to be alright?" He asked with a bit of concern.

With a satisfied smile she nodded. "Yeah." She stood and told Orchid she would be right back. "I'll walk you out, Sam."

The two walked to the door, Sam never released her paw. He opened the door and stood at the threshold as he turned to face her. The two just looked at each other for a moment before Sam reached forward with his free paw, wrapping it around to the small of her back as he pulled her close. Bringing her to their most passionate kiss yet.

Kristy was putty in Sam's paws. This wasn't just the most passionate kiss between the two of them. It was one of, if not the best kiss of Kristy's life. She gently gripped the gray fox's shoulder as they kissed. Almost timidly their tongues explored each other's mouth. They finally pulled away from each other and looked into one another's eyes. The morning light sparkling in the sapphire jewels of Sam's face and Kristy's honey pools.

Kristy looked away, her muzzle downcase and ears down submissively as she spoke. "I cannot thank you enough." She looked up teary eyed and grateful. "For everything you did last night." She glanced down at the bandage on Sam's arm nervously.

"It was nothing." He said dismissively, smiling down at her. With a disappointed sigh he looked back at his jeep. "I guess I should go. Brutus is probably waiting for me."

"Guess so.." The felines ears were down as was her tail. Even her fur seemed to droop down. "Well, I got to get something to eat and head to work so it's for the best." She smirked. "Text me?"

His smile returned. "Yeah." He leaned in for another quick kiss before turning to leave. Jumping in his jeep and waving goodbye as he left. Kristy leaned on the door and waved, watching him leave before closing it.

0o0o0o0o0

Sam couldn't help but continue to check his rearview mirror as he drove home. The thought of leaving Kristy and her kits alone after what happened yesterday drove his instinct to protect into overdrive. Thinking back on the possessive growl he'd accidentally let out was rather embarrassing but at least Kristy hadn't let it bother her. There were also questions he wanted to ask that he hadn't had the opportunity to yesterday. He started making a mental list of all the things he wanted to ask about Chad; most of all, what he'd called Kristy that got her so upset that she smashed a bottle over his head. All that was pushed to the side as he pulled into his driveway and glimpsed the moving truck at his new neighbor's house down the heavily wooded road. 

He parked the jeep in its usual spot and trekked his way over. The black wolf named Brutus had just carried a box inside and Sam took a glance into the truck as he waited. It was only a quarter empty so he'd just started unloading then and waited for him to return. 

"Morning neighbor." Sam said with a smile as Brutus appeared in the doorway.

"Good morning!" He eagerly walked up and shook Sam's paw. "Sam, right?"

"Yeah, Brutus?" Sam asked to make sure, the wolf eagerly nodded.

"Yup, thank you so much for offering to help."

To which Sam just waved away. "Don't mention it. So what goes where?" 

Straight away the two were making progress, nearly emptying the entire truck in an hour. The two chatted as they put boxes in the living room for Brutus to go through and furniture in the various rooms. Eventually the conversation turned to the house Brutus had purchased.

"You know, they say this old house is haunted." Sam stated.

"I know! I was searching for a place like this. Paranormal investigations is a hobby of mine. When I had the house inspected, the inspector said he only made it halfway before he had to leave."

Brutus continued to ramble on about the different signs that others had told him about so he could narrow down the best place to start. Sam just listened as the wolf began to get excited and wondered if Kristy would enjoy a night of ghost hunting?

0o0o0o0o0

In the late afternoon Stefano checked the time as he waited for his ride, wearing his typical checkered shirt and blue jeans. This one a cool blue that matched his zip up hoodie. The red fox jumped a little when a cute voice spoke beside him. "So is it true?"

 

Behind Stefano was a red vixen. She was noticeably shorter than him. She had a very cute face with fluffy cheeks. Wearing the school's hoodie and with a black knee skirt she hid that her fluff wasn't all fur. She was adorable, as were her two friends, another red vixen and a snow fox vixen.

 

Embarrassed and confused, Stefano faced her and stammered. "I-is what true?" An embarrassed chuckle escaped the fox's long muzzle.

 

The fluffy vixen giggled and asked. "Well there's a rumor around school that you're part of some sort of fight club." She laughed hoping to put them both at ease. "Someone I know said your like a hitmammal or something."

 

"What?!" Stefano gasped, the insides of his ears turning red. "I... I'm not that no....." He looks down at his paws not sure what the hell is going on or why this vixen would think that. Forgetting about the bandage on his snout and paws.

 

Looking a little sad that she had embarrassed him the vixen says. "Oh, um, well uh, have a nice day." She turns back to her friends, her tail sagging as they walked away. 

 

Before they were out of sight, Stefano took a little peek at the vixen's plump rear. He immediately felt very guilty and even more embarrassed. He was full of regret as he looked up and saw the red sports car Kristy drove. 

 

The bobcat was smiling as Stefano approached. She wore some simple jeans and a black blouse. In the back Orchid sat in her carseat in a black denim skirt and purple dalopin shirt with a matching bow. Her whiskers wiggled as she leaned up to watch the fox put his backpack in the back and then sit down. Stefano greeted both the females as he buckled in.

 

"So did you get her number?" Kristy asked, putting the car in drive.

 

"Ooooh." Stefano’s ears pricked up and turned red again, he stared out the front windshield with wide eyes. "Eeeeh her number... of who?" His nerves destroying his grammar.

 

"That cutie that you were just talking to." Kristy smirked looking at the red fox as she came to a stop sign.

 

Still with the thousand yard stare Stefano mumbled. “Ehh no I wasn't talking to her.... she uhhhh.... she just asked me a thing, that's all."

 

Kristy shakes her head and clicks her tongue with Orchid copying her mother in the back seat. "She was into you dude." The bobcat said with a smile. "Guess I'll have to help you work on your game." She giggled and pulled onto Main Street. "It's kind of my job now after all."

 

With an embarrassed chuckle Stefano asks. "Wh-what game?"

 

Kristy purred with a smirk. "Your game dude. Talking to girls, picking up vix. I mean Stefano you're a musician. Why don't you take your guitar to school, why weren't you playing it while you were waiting? You would have girls tripping over themselves to get ya if you were." She laughed. "Don't worry it's one of the many things I got to teach ya." She said, once again dropping a hint.

 

"Ohh ehhhh......" Stefano's ears turned even more red. "Uhh because I don't like to play in public... I'm ashamed...I guess, I'm very shy, I couldn't do that." Still staring out the windshield 

 

Kristy sighed and nodded. "We’ll have to fix your shyness. Another thing that's my job to help fix.” she glanced at Orchid thinking about how she had a big job with her already. 

 

"I-I don't know what you mean by your job to fix now?" 

 

She giggled. " I mean how I talked with your grandpa and he gave me power of attorney till you're 18 so I'm basically your parent,now." She looked at the fox to read how Stefano felt. She hoped it made him happy.

 

Stefano keeps staring out of the window with the same embarrassed expression for a few seconds, not really understanding what she said. Then his face lost all expression for a few seconds as he processed it. His eyes slowly widened as it dawned on him. The young fox immediately turns to her with a face of disbelief and joy. "WHAT?! What did you say?!" It wasn't what she meant but it was the best Stefano had.

 

"I said I'm basically your momma, and Orchid is basically your sister." Orchid squeaked unsure what she had to do with this. 

 

The emotional fox stared at Kristy with wide eyes and an open muzzle for a few seconds, not knowing what to say or feel. He slowly just sits back in the seat, a confused smile on his face. After a fews seconds without words a little tear rolls down his cheek. He smiled, having missed such feelings of familial acceptance. He never thought he would truly feel it again.

 

The bobcat smiled and said. "We can hug when I'm not driving."

0o0o0o0o0

Nearly two weeks had passed since the run in with Chad, Sam and Kristy were spending more and more time together. After a couple of days, even Firnen was able to tell which days Sam had spent with his girlfriend and which he hadn't. 

Most days Sam would come in dragging his tail with bags under his bloodshot eyes. Barely speaking a word to anyone as he made his way to his office. He'd close the door and only come out if needed. Then, somedays, he would come in and look like a brand new mammal. He'd still be wearing the same clothes as the day before and smell heavily of bobcat, but not sex oddly enough. Sam would be bright, chipper, energetic, entertaining and above all, happy.

It was on one such day that Sam came into the fourier where Firnen's desk was located. As part of his other duties, Firnen also greeted customers and took delivery of packages. Acting as a receptionist as much as a technician.

"Firnen, how'd you like a promotion?"

The South American Grey Fox lit up as he turned to face his boss. His face breaking into a smile as he opened his mouth to express his joy at the offer.

"Good!" He was cut off. "I still need you here until we can find someone to fill the position. For now, I want you to work on this." Sam set a tiny laptop box on Firnen's desk along with a piece of paper. "I need you to set this up with these programs on it. And give it two logins, one admin, one regular. Let me know when you're finished." And with that Sam walked back to his office, leaving a slightly confused Firnen behind.

Firnen picked up the paper and looked over the programs listed. Tilting his head at the list of learning programs.

Sam smiled as he sat down at his desk. Kristy hadn't asked for a laptop for her daughter, but he was sure she would appreciate it. She never said anything about her finances but he was sure the music shop didn't pay that much. Taking care of herself, Stefano and now Orchid had to be a drain on her bank account. He'd noticed the nice guitar sitting in the corner or the living room and the princess bed for Orchid could not have been cheap. He didn't want to offer her handouts, he also thought she'd be too proud to accept any anyway. So he came up with a plan and as the thought of how everything was falling into place ran through his mind, the work phone started to ring. Not the office line, Firn would have gotten that, but his direct line. 

“Retrans Networks, Sam speaking.” He said, sounding chipper.

"Hey Sam, it's me." Kristy said, her voice husky had an oddly familiar echo.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sam sat up in his chair, his brow knitted in concern.

"No... yes... I don't know." As she spoke, it dawned on him that Kristy was probably holed up in a closet or maybe the bathroom. Probably to cry. "Kassidy... Kassidy gave my fucking raise to Candy. I don't want to, like, just beg for money or anything but..." He could hear her fighting back tears. "Bills are coming, I owe Riley's parents for the house which I might can put off but I was so close to paying them off. I couldn't... I don't think… Kno and Roxxie got a kit coming… I'm just... I was counting on that raise.”

"Can you leave work?" Sam asked.

"If I wasn't crying when I heard I would have already told Kassidy to eat a dick." Kristy grumbled.

"Do you want me to come get you?"

Her voice brightened. "I would love that."

“Okay, I’m on my way… And Kristy?” Sam said, conviction in his voice.

"Yes?" The feline replied her mood lifted a fair bit.

“I love you.”

Kristy gasped at the declaration of love. It took a moment for her to reply but Sam didn't worry, he could hear her purring. "I love you to." The purring bobcat replied her voice breathless again, for a good reason this time.

Sam hung the phone up and leaned back with a content sigh. A smile cracking his lips as he felt a warmth wash over him that he hadn't felt in a long time. He quickly left his office and told Firnen he was taking off early. Jumping in his jeep and racing to Kristy’s work.

As Sam pulled up he saw Kristy leaning on the corner of the building looking off into the distance. Almost like she was posing for an album cover. She wore a simple V neck blouse and some dark work slacks. The keen eyes of the fox saw Orchid standing as tall as she could in her mother's cross paws. The young chinchilla was nuzzling the bobcat as best she could. The child in a simple black long sleeve shirt and a blue jumper skirt was having an affect. Kirsty was smiling warmly and as Sam pulled into the parking lot Kirsty returned the affection, gently nuzzling her daughter back.

Hearing the jeep coming Kristy looked up and realised who it was. The sadness left her smile as she approached. Orchid looked at the fox in his work polo and khakis, her face begged for help. The white and gray ball of fluff was too young to understand what was troubling her mother, and too behind to put it into words but she did know one thing. Sam could help, Sam was a hero.  
  
At least, that’s what Kirsty told her he was. 

“Hey baby.” Kirsty said, looking in through the space where a door should be. “Um, I think maybe we should take my car this time.” She mewed and looked down as Orchid’s whiskers wiggled while sniffing the jeep.

"Yeah, we'll save the jeep ride for later. I'll go park and meet you in the back." Sam pulled away and found a public parking spot, pulling the parking brake and killing the engine before jumping out. This would be the first time he rode with her behind the wheel. He walked to the employee parking and quickly found the little red sports car. It was easy to spot with the sexy kitty standing next to it.

Kristy had just checked that Orchid was strapped into her seat properly and put the passenger seat back up. As Sam neared she turned and pounced, wrapping him in a hug. Sam wrapped his arms around her as soon as the shock of the pounce past. Despite her purring and the joy to be in the arms of the male that loved her, she was shaking. There were no tears, just some emotional runoff that she needed to release in his embrace. Same held her tight as the stress left her body, wrapping his tail around her waist as his paws rubbed her back. With her face buried in his neck Kristy finally mumbled. “thank you.”

 

"Don't thank me yet." Sam said waiting for her too slowly pulled away before releasing her. Seeing Kristy’s teary smile made Sam smile. He slipped into the passenger seat and buckled in. 

Kristy made her way to the driver’s seat, gently wiping her tears away. Luckily, her winter coat came with tear streaks to hide that she had been crying. Sitting down and turning on the car a cutesy tune about finding a samurai rolled from the speakers. It did not sound like something Kristy would listen to, causing Sam to raise a confused eyebrow at her, until he noticed Orchid quietly singing in the back. The bobcat sighed, she could really use her music now, but just put the stick in reverse as she spoke. “Oh, um, where are we going?”

"Anywhere you'd like. My treat." Sam said, getting comfortable in his seat. The bucket seats of the pony car hugged the fox nicely, although the space for his tail left something to be desired.

“I’m feeling fish.” Kristy said, pulling onto the main road. She glanced at Orchid in the back seat. Like always the little one was trying to see out of the car curiously. “I could also use a drink.” The feline sighed, unsure if that would help any.

"Well, I do have some good news." He said, looking at Kristy with a smile. "That position at my work was just posted if you want to apply for it."

Kristy looked over at the gray fox and smiled. "No better place to start then where you got an in." She giggled and stretched out in her seat as they sat at a light. She wiggled her paw into her pocket and pulled out her phone. The feline held it to the fox and said. "Could you bring it up on this for me, please?"

"Sure." He replied, taking the phone and finding the sight quickly. "All set." He couldn't help the smug grin on his face.

With a giggle Kristy thanked the fox and set her phone in the cup holder. She leaned over and kissed Sam's cheek. Orchid made a bleh sound in the back seat too which Kristy said. "Oh hush you." She giggled. "You'll be all head over tails for a boy someday too." 

"No." Orchid replied cutely crossing her arms and turning her nose up at the idea.

Kristy looked at Sam. "You know, I think I like that better." The bobcat's brown eyes sparkled with admiration for him. The bobcat down shifted as she pulled into a parking lot.

Sam wasn't really paying attention to where they were going, only sneaking glances at the cat sitting beside him. Seeing she left her paw on the shifter, he slid his onto of hers. Running his thumb over the top of her knuckles.

With a stick shift the bobcat couldn't hold her boyfriend's paw, until she parked and turned her paw over to hold Sam's. Her fingers curled around the side of the gray's paw, her thumb around his. Kristy purred and undid her seat belt and leaned forward, Sam did the same. Before the two could kiss Orchid jumped onto the arm rest and squeaked. "Hungry!"

The two chuckled at the cuteness. Kirsty then scooped up the chinchilla and purring. “Okay Hungry, lets get food.” Orchid chirped as she was carried out of the car. The feline purred and waited by the back for Sam. The moment he joined her she kissed him, while Orchid didn't mind the warmth of being hugged between the adult predators she still made a comical grossed out face.

The trio made their way inside and after a short wait were seated at a table next to a window with a view of the lake. The tables were made of wooden boards that were each painted a different bright color and covered in epoxy for a smooth surface. The entire theme was one of the beach with fresh seafood to boot. Even the condiment basket had a small fishing pole with a float that you could raise or lower to let your server know if you needed something. On the walls hung various small sailing flags and replicas of different deep sea fish. Even the boards on the ceiling were painted in various colors with lights strung all around.

After a couple of moments they ordered their drinks and then their meals. With that done Sam turned his attention back to Kristy.“So, I hope you don’t find this too presumptuous but do you have something in mind to wear for the interview?” He asked.

“Uh.” the bobcat looked up from her phone having been filling out the application off and on since they entered the building. “I should have a dress that would work for an interview. I used to have a nice suit but it got ruined… thanks to… Chad.” She sighed and looked over at Orchid who was fascinated by the fishing line with a float. 

“Hmm, we might need to look into that. I can help you pick something that’ll be appropriate if you’d like.” Sam suggested.

With her eyes still on the phone Kristy nodded. "I would love that, Baby." She smiled as she looked up at Sam. Beaming as she held her phone over to him. "Would you mind double checking me?" She scooted over purring as their chairs touched and legs brushed up against each other. Meanwhile Orchid happily occupied herself by raising and lowering the little float.

Sam took the phone with one paw and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, looking over the application as he enjoyed the way she leaned into him. While reading it over their food was brought to the table, pulling him away by the nose. 

"It looks good to me." Sam said, indeed it had shown she was well qualified for the position, she was going from manager to secretary after all, probably overqualified. He set the phone down on the table and began to devour his fish tacos.

Kristy had been reluctant to pull away from Sam, but she was hungry and Orchid needed her help with her lunch. Frist the bobcat scoops a couple spoonfuls of Mac-n-cheese on a smaller plate so Orchid could use her properly sized utensils to feed herself. Sam watched the dutiful mother work before she dug into her fried fish fillet and potato salad. He could only guess how odd Kristy felt about being so responsible.

After a quick quiet lunch, Kristy asked. "So what do you think my chances are at getting the job?" She leaned on Sam a little purring as they were waiting for the check. Orchid yawned and hopped into her mother's lap. The child purred that copied purr of hers as Kristy gently rubbed her back. 

"I'd say pretty good. You're going from a manager to a secretary so you've got all the skills required, plenty of experience and I bet you'd look good in one of our shirts."

“I look good in just about everything.” She giggled, her grin grew when she saw her phone, the bobcat picked it up and held it so she could get a picture of the three of them. “And that's good to hear, you always know what to say.” Sam donned a cocky smirk for the picture while Kristy snuggled up close and smiled a wonderfully warm smile as she lifted her daughter into frame. Orchid yawned and fluffed her face for a moment. She tried to smile but with her droopy lids it was easy to tell she was sleepy. With the click of a button the adorable family photo was taken. A second soon followed with Kristy kissing Sam’s cheek while Orchid yawned, and the fox’s smile turned affectionate.

Shortly after, their waiter brought the check and collected the used plates. The group made their way back to the car after paying and started the journey back. Sitting in the passenger seat, Sam turned his head towards Kristy as his eyes closed and he filled his lungs with her scent. With the bobcat dealing with the heavy traffic and Orchid asleep in the back, Sam’s nasal investigation went unnoticed. He was awoken from his daze when the car turned to go into the parking lot, his eyes blinking heavily. He watched  Kristy as she pulled into a parking spot. Obvious dread in her expression as she stared at the building.

“Hey.” Sam said, pulling her attention to him. “It’s gonna be okay.” He reached over and rubbed her forearm.

The dread melted away at his touch. Kristy turned to face him and started to purr as she placed her paw on his. “I know.” she looked up at the gray fox and smiled. “So when are we going shopping?”

“We can go whenever you’re ready.” Sam said as he stretched.

With the car still running the bobcat scanned the parking lot. The employee parking was more densely packed then the front parking but she could see everything well enough r. After scanning the area for a moment her brown eyes fell on an expensive sports car. The sleek black lines of the import filled Kristy with dread, anger and sadness. “Would you hold it against me if I asked to do it now.”

Sam followed her gaze and didn’t really understand why it caused her to look so distressed. So he did what any responsible boyfriend would do.

“No.”  
  
“Well then.” she smiled and put the car in reverse and pulled out. “They're going to deal without me before too long anyway.” she purred and jumped into a space in traffic using all the horsepower her car had to get away from Cat’s Meowsic as fast as possible. Not long ago she might have kept driving recklessly even with Sam in the car, darting around cars slipping into any hole she could find. With Orchid asleep in the back however, she slowed to a more casual drive. “What’s a good place to get something your boss would respect me in?”

“Hmm, let’s head to the mall. There’s a couple of retailers that carry nice business attire.” He suggested. As she started stirring the car in that direction, he thought it would be worth asking. “Who’s car was that?”

Kristy's answer was simple and to the point. "His."”

Sam was confused at first before an answer came to him. “Chad?”

"Kassidy's." Kristy grumbled.

Sam leaned back, relief washing over him. “Ah.” Was all he said till they arrived at the mall. With school still in session and it only being after lunch it was nearly deserted. Kristy parked the car outside one of the big retailers and the little group made their way inside and navigated to the section for female business attire.

“Alright, let’s see what they got.”

Kristy held her sleeping child to her shoulder ignoring the few looks it got. "Yes let's see." Her little tail wiggled as she searched. Finally pulling the sleeve of a black business jacket out, holding it up to her cheek. "What'cha think?" The suit jacket came with a white shirt and a matching black pencil skirt.

Sam examined the clothing for a moment, the suit looked very professional. Not something she’d be required to wear daily or ever really. “I think we can do better.” He said, reaching for a different suit. 

“Skip the classics gotcha.” she meowed and adjusted Orchid as the little one kicked gently. The young rodent shook her head, yawned and fluffed her face as she awoke. She didn't know or care where she was, being in her mother’s arms made it okay.

The couple looked at a few different traditional suits with skirts or pants, with a little input from Orchid, and eventually made their way around to more modern business attire. With Kristy still leaning towards items more professional and modest while Sam had other plans.

While Kristy was looking through one rack of clothes and asking Orchid what she thought, Sam looked at another. He pulled a black top with a dark grey skirt and set them under the top items in his arm for Kristy to try on. They walked around a little more without picking another outfit.

“Alright, you wanna try these on see if there’s one here you like?”

The bobcat inspected  the stack of four or five outfits. She purred and nodded. "Yeah. Don't want the stack to get too heavy for ya." Sam squinted his eyes in fake aggravation for the teasing comment. Kristy held Orchid out to Sam. "Trade ya." The chinchilla wiggled and looked at the fox with indifferent trust.

Sam passed Kristy  the clothes over and let the chinchilla climb over to his paws. Both watched as Kristy disappeared into the changing room. “Well, come on little one. Let’s find a comfy seat. This may take a while.” He sat on one of the waiting benches outside the changing area, letting Orchid hop onto the seat

It wasn't long before the bored child started to bounce in place, till Kristy came out in the first outfit, a thin silk see through blouse with a white top. The black capris hugged her legs nicely. "What do you think?" It was a modest outfit but her dark blue bra showed through the top, but that was an easily fixable flaw. 

Sam gave the outfit an appreciative look over. “Could be a top contender. Gives a nice relaxed feel.” Orchid seemed to like it with the happy squeak she made.

Kristy giggled and looked at herself in the mirror. "Noted." She purred. "And I think I got a pair of heels that will work with it too." The bobcat nodded and slipped back inside the changing room. Distracted by Orchid as she hoped around on the cushion beside him Sam missed Kristy coming out in the next outfit.

A modest near sleeveless tanish blouse with a big fancy white and brown bow that dominated Kristy's neck and chest. The dark brown fan skirt followed her hips but hid her legs. "It's a little tight in the front. You know?"

Sam looked up and smiled as he enjoyed the view of the tight shirt. As much as he liked it, he had other plans. “It looks nice but kinda old fashioned.” He said looking skeptical.

"Miss Fizzjaraled." Orchid exclaimed excitedly with a giggle before looking self-conscious. Sam looked at the chinchilla confused. 

"Well that seals it." Kristy said, returning to the dressing room.

Sam leaned closer to Orchid once Kristy closed the door, whispering to her. "Who's Miss Fizzled?"

Orchid froze and looked up at Sam. Her tail curled around herself. "She's the librarian in one of her cartoons." Kristy called from the changing room. 

Sam looked back at the dressing room then back to Orchid. He leaned away from the chinchilla, offering a warm smile as he waited for Kristy to try on the next outfit. 

Without the large male looming over her, Orchid felt comfortable again. She was warming up to him but still, these things take time. What didn't was Kristy coming out in the next outfit. It was, form fitting black number with cold shoulder sleeves and a little diamond cut out to show her cleavage. "I got some black leggings that should work for this."

Sam nodded as he appraised the new outfit. "Very professional. Maybe a backup to the other for now?" Both the adults' ears twitched at the little snort of the bored child.

The bobcat did a little spin. "Yeah but nothing's really jumping out." She mewed an

"I got one more to try. Sweet Flower, sit tight please." Krsity said looking at Orchid. The bobcat looked at Sam hoping he didn't try to do anything to entertain Orchid. Last thing she needed today was her daughter biting her boyfriend. She thought Orchid would have gone back to sleep while she changed. Kristy decided she would give Orchid her phone next time.

Meanwhile, Sam pulled out his cellphone and brought up a drawing app. The screen started black and revealed a rainbow background as you drew. He laid his phone down close to Orchid and slid his finger across part of the screen so she could see how it worked. Orchid eyes were bright and sparkled with the reflection of the random rainbow swirls she drew. Her pipe cleaner tail wiggled as she giggled, Sam felt proud of himself. Always got to work for those brownie points.

“I don't remember picking this one but I like it.” Kristy said before walking out in a silky black blouse with silver thread making curly cue designs and polished silver buttons. The neckline was low revealing her assets, even her lucky spot. Even with all the buttons done up, the edges of Kristy’s work bra were showing. The black skirt hugged Kristy’s hips, butt and legs almost perfectly. “Maybe with some heels and a Necklace, what’cha think?” She stood up on her paw pads like she would in heels. Her claws out making little tick sounds as she stepped closer and spun in place. She wiggled her tail and smiled at Sam waiting.

Sam was speechless, his brain had checked out and left him to fend for himself. His body was frozen in place and unwilling to move. The only thing that did move was his tail, which was frantically wagging behind him. Kristy began to look a little uncomfortable before his brain finally checked back in and reinstalled his ability to speak. When he was finally able to speak he only had one word to come to mind.

"Perfect."

“Really? It’s not too much?.” Kristy asked, looking at herself in the full body mirror outside the dressing room. She had to admit she looked good in it. Meanwhile the frantic wagging of the fox’s tail drew the attention of the chinchilla. She hoped around and looked at the wagging fuff.  
  
As Kristy was testing just how low she could get the neckline of the blouse to go a gasped “Woe!” came from behind Sam. A wombat in thick glasses, a Howl of Duty t-shirt and red cargo shorts stood in the aisle behind the gray fox. The marsupial ’s paws trembled around his portable game like his open mouth. He stared at Kristy just about drooling on himself. His similarly dressed female companion didn’t know who to glare at more, her boyfriend or Kristy. The bobcat just smiled a little more without looking up, turning heads like that always made her day just that much better.   
  
It wouldn't have happened without Sam, who was currently glaring at the wombat over his shoulder. Soon the female wombat pulled her gawking companion away. Sam returned his gaze to Kristy making his tail wag again much to the enjoyment of Orchid. She almost wanted to touch it. 

It had become a very good day.


	10. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Kristy received a call a day later from Retrans Networks, Firn, the fox she would be replacing, helped her schedule an interview with his boss that Friday. He never mentioned the owner's name but Kristy didn't pry.

The bobcat had been confident that day but now, the morning of her interview, she was nervous, a rare feeling for her. Kristy had spent all morning trying on every bra and pair of panties she owned to find the right set to wear with the outfit Sam and her picked out.

Thankfully, by the time Orchid had woken up, due to the bobcat talking to herself, Kristy was dressed as Orchid hopped into the bathroom. The feline's current dilemma was just how much cleavage to show. With the undergarment she chose Kristy could get the neckline pretty low. When Orchid in her white nightie with purple polka dot climbed up on the counter, Kristy stepped back and mewed. "So far so good, don't you think?"

Orchid nodded.

Kristy smiled. "Okay, now to accessorize." She pulled out her jewelry box, starting with her necklaces. She only had a few so at least that made the decision easy. Her gold necklace looked too trashy with the outfit and her pearl necklace blended in with her winter coat too much. While her mother decided on jewelry, Orchid looked in the box at all the sparkly things, something the chinchilla that birthed her would yell at her for just looking at. Kristy looked at herself with a black shiny metal necklace made of bars of differing length making an ark. She held another dark silver necklace with three black pearls set about an inch apart in her other paw. "What you think sweetie. Egyptian thingy or the Black Pearl Trio?"

Orchid nodded.

The bobcat nodded and set both necklaces down and looked at them on the counter. "I got pearl earrings to go with this one, but this one, hmmmm." As the feline looked at her 'Egyptian' necklace she noticed her chest again and just how much was showing. "Oh this won't do, I need to be pretty but can't flaunt everything, I'm spoken for after all."

Orchid nodded.

While Kristy tried to button more buttons Orchid reached into the box. She knew her mother would just tell her to be careful, unlike the chinchilla she used to live with. Orchid pulled two thin gold rings from their holders in the box. Each had a pretty light blue stone set in them, though one was a little bigger than the others and flat on the bottom. With a chirped giggle she looked at herself in the mirror and hung each ring from her ears.

Now with two more buttons done, Kristy looked at herself. The shirt was tight around her bussum and the lines of her undergarment were showing but she didn't look like she was about to fall out. She nodded and noticed Orchid looking at herself with the rings on her ears. "They look good Sweet Flower, but one of those goes on my toe."

"Bleh!" Orchid exclaimed and pulled the rings off then dropped them in the box making Kristy giggle.

Kristy rubbed Orchid's head then went back to picking a necklace. The child fluffed her face and ears. Once again, Kristy held up each necklace. "I think I'll go with a less is more approach." 

Orchid nodded.

After snapping the black pearl trio necklace on Kristy snorted. She once again didn't like her neckline. It was technically conservative, but with her build, it ended up being worse. Males wouldn't like how much is hidden while females would just think she was trash trying to hide it. She undid some of the buttons and now the fabric was relaxed and her assets were displayed without being in your face.

"Is that good?" Kristy asked.

Orchid nodded.

Satisfied, for now, the bobcat went about finding the black pearl earrings. Orchid went exploring the bathroom counter. It wasn't big, just being a single sink in front of a wall mirror. Orchid's claws made little tick sounds as she hopped over the sandy marble. She stopped by the faucet to sniff at the four little perfume bottles beside it.

"It's not perfume time yet, Orchid." Kristy said with a black pearl clipped to each ear. The chinchilla turned and hopped over to help if she could. Orchid watched as her mother applied some lipstick. Making a thin line of dark crimson along her mouth. The feline puckered her lips then kissed the air. She felt confident as she picked up the liner pen. Her winter coat already had eye shadow in a way and she didn't plan on doing anything there. But she did use the pen to even out the outline of her heart shaped lucky spot. However, looking at herself again she thought she was showing off too much. "Oh why is this so hard." She buttoned a button then another. Her lucky spot was obscured but the fabric wasn't too tight. "That's it I'm done with the buttons." Kristy motioned dramatically.

Orchid nodded.

The child turned back to the perfume. She sniffed at the atomizer on a blue and white can. It had no real smell which matched the clinical nature of the can. "That's for work sweetie. It hides my smell." Kristy commented. "I don't think it's good for this." The bobcat was using a brush to fluff the fur of her head.

Orchid looked from her mother to the next bottle. A white oval with a gold atomizer. The chinchilla sniffed at it, the smell making her think of cupcakes. "That one's too flirty, Sweetie."

While Orchid sniffed at a thin purple bottle with a flower on top, Kristy grabbed the last one. The chinchilla felt a little funny from the flowery smell. "That one's more of a date night one, makes the guys go wild." Kristy said before spritzing the last perfume on either side of her neck.

Cringing Orchid hopped away and waited to sniff the golden bottle Kristy set down. Once again, Kristy fussed about with her neck line. Orchid ignored her this time as the scent of the perfume made her think about sweet flowers and fruits. "There." Kristy explained then said. "Professional and flirty in both look and smell."

Orchid nodded.

Kristy scooped up her daughter who squeaked happily. Kristy had just one last thing to do after she adjusted the neckline of her blouse again, put on her heels. They were creamy white open toed stiletto. She was a little unsteady at first, not able to feel the floor, but the cat never fell as she got Orchid dressed and fed. 

The young chinchilla wasn't happy to learn she would be babysat by Roxxie. Orchid thought she was getting all dressed up for the interview in a pink jumper with a front pocket adorned with the image of cupcake. The wrapper was white glitter and the frosting was light pink with sprinkles and a cherry on top. Her right ear was wrapped with a bright cherry bow. 

Kristy drove over to her best friend's house. Kno and Roxxie lived in a nice neighborhood near their bar. The security guard at the entrance didn't give her much trouble, having seen her come through a number of times. The complex was well wooded, with houses for the smaller mammals built into the trees while the larger mammals got to choose from larger brick townhouses. Even though Kristy's house was free standing, these connected homes dwarfed her's, even with the structure split up between two or more families.

There was no jealousy in Kristy's heart, she liked her little place, even if it was getting small for her family. Once parked Orchid hopped up to the front seat to be picked up and carried in. As Kristy reached for the front door, it suddenly swung open, Roxxie’s face appearing only inches from theirs. “Boo!” She said dramatically, making Kristy smile and giving Orchid a little start, drawing a surprised squeak. Roxxie opened the door fully, revealing her light blue yoga pants with a red waistband and simple purple t-shirt, both of which were growing a little tighter in the front.

“Hey, Roxxie.” Kristy greeted, with a smile. Orchid just eyed Roxxie as the child clung to her mother.    
  
“Hey girl.” The skunk replied, then, smiling warmly, she leaned over to be eye level with Orchid. “And hello to you little one.” It took a little prodding from Kristy but Orchid squeaked a simple greeting. “I got something for you.” Roxxie grinned as she produced a chocolate chocolate chip muffin nearly half Orchid’s size.   
  
The little chinchilla’s blue eyes sparkled as her mouth fell open. Her nose wiggled as she sniffed the air, her long whiskers wiggling. “For me?” she asked, looking from Roxxie to her mother. Kristy nodded and held Orchid out to Roxxie. The skunk knew Orchid was still learning to trust mammals, so she patiently held out her own arms and let the chinchilla take her time.   
  
As the little child slowly began to nibble at the treat Roxxie adjusted them both so she could hold them more easily. “Don’t let her eat that whole thing.” Kristy said, Orchid started to take bigger bites.   
  
“No worries.” Roxxie replied with a smile. “But you look like you got a lot of worries.”   
  
“I hate interviews.” Kristy sighed, rubbing her short muzzle. “Especially ones that could make my boyfriend look bad.” 

Roxxie rolled her eyes. “Just relax girl, you'll do fine.” She looked at her god-daughter as she spoke. “Tell your momma it will be alright.”

Orchid looked up with chocolate in her whiskers. “It will be alright.” 

Kristy smiled for her daughter as Roxxie spoke. “See.” She skunk smirked as she reached out and popped a button on the bobcat’s blouse. “Now, you look perfect, breathe, and go get'em Kit kat.” 

0o0o0o0o0

The lone drive to Retrans Networks wasn’t exactly what Kirsty needed, her mind wandering and her nerves frayed as she drove. The "waiting" was always the worst part. When Kristy was actually in the thick of most situations she did pretty well, what happens in one’s head is worse than what happens in real life.

Normally.   
  
Once parked, Kristy looked at herself in the mirror and took a breath. “You got this. You're a rock star.” She smiled and opened the door of her car and stepped out. Thankfully, she didn't stumble then or when she made her way to the door. 

The building itself was rather unremarkable. The outside covered in an offwhite stucco with parking to the side. The front had an overhang area for unloading equipment out of the weather. The front doors were double glass with stainless steel handles. Surprisingly, the doors were sized to accommodate mammals the size of a rhino or smaller. Unusual for this small town. Built into each door was a smaller door appropriately sized for varying sizes. Beyond the first set of doors was another identical set meant to help keep the elements out. As Kristy passed this set she found herself in a carpeted forer. The area was large and spacious, but most importantly empty save for a few decorative plants. A sign post was set up with an arrow pointing to the left and a message saying “Main Office”. Looking left, she could see another set of glass double doors sized for nothing larger than a white tail deer and a speaker phone sized for megafauna to the side. She glanced right and saw the wall opened to a large hallway at the end.

Kristy followed the arrow to the double doors and glanced inside before opening them. Just beyond was a countertop that stretched several feet from the wall. Just over the top of the computer monitor, she could see a grey furred head with large triangular ears.

For a moment she thought it was Sam but the coloration of the ears seemed off, even the shape. Kristy stepped closer to the computer as she spoke. “Hello, I’m Kristy Ar’hap. I’m here for an interview.” She moved to see the southern Gray Fox whose name she suspected was Firn, the mammal she spoke to on the phone.

Firn’s ears twitched before he looked up from his screen, offering a polite smile before speaking in a heavy south american accent. “Oh, Ms. Ar’hap, nice to meet you. I’m Firn.” He stood from his chair and offered his paw. 

Kristy shook the Fox's paw. "Nice to meet you."

“Let me see if he’s ready for you .” Firn picks up his phone and dials a number. “Hey boss, Ms. Ar’hap is here for her interview.” He paused as the mammal on the other end of the line spoke. “Okay.” He said before putting the receiving back in the cradle. “He’s ready for you. Just walk down the hall, it’s the last door on the right.”

The feline took a deep breath before speaking. She wanted to say more, to be clever and witty, but all that came to her was the simplest of niceties. "Thank you."

Firn returned her smile with a polite one, his nose twitched for a second before his smile broadened and a hint of mischief entered his eyes. “You’re welcome, and good luck.” Was all he said.

Kristy looked at Firn, she almost blurted out 'is he that much of a hard ass?' But she regained her composure, she was a rock star, she had this. Thanking Firn one last time the feline walked down the hall to the door Firn pointed out to her. On the door was taped a piece of paper that clearly blocked a name plate behind it. On the paper was written the words Owner/Manager, odd but there was probably a reason. With one last breath she threw on her smile and opened the door.

The moment her brown eyes saw who was waiting though her worries fell away. Melting like a snowball in summer. Her smile changed, becoming genuine. Mostly subtle changes that only the mammal before her could pick out.

“Why Ms. Ar’hap, won’t you come in?” Said the occupant of the office in a deep southern drawl.

"Good one." She said, looking at the paper on the wall and pulling it down revealing the nameplate that read. "Samuel Chola Owner/CEO"

“Surprised to see me?” The fox asked in his normal voice, leaning back in his large office chair, his tail slowly wagging behind him.

"Surprised mixed with relief." Kristy said as she sauntered over to Sam's desk. She dropped the paper in the trash on the way. "But you owe me lunch and dinner for freaking me out so much."

“Well Ms. Ar’hap,” he said, switching back to his deep drawl, “if you would be so kind as to lock the door, I believe we have much to discuss.”

"Oh really." The feline said, more excited then Sam expected. "We talking pay and vacation days or," with a paw on the back of the chair Kristy slid herself onto the armrest forcing Sam to move his elbow, "other perks?" Her lipstick added extra pop to her words. No longer feeling self-conscious, she leaned close letting the fox feel her warmth and her deep primal purr. 

“Oh, I believe we can come to a reasonable agreement as far as pay is concerned.” As Kristy loomed over him, Sam laid his paw on her thigh and rubbed his way down to her knee. “You’ll get the standard two weeks paid vacation and four weeks sick leave of course. As for ‘other perks’, I’m sure we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement, wouldn’t you agree, Ms. Ar’hap?”

"That sounds very nice." The feline slid her paw over the back of the chair as she leaned closer. Bringing her smile just an inch from his nose. Her honeysuckle perfume and her own spicy aroma filling his nose as she spoke. "Well, I am a single mother of two. I'm sure we can make arrangements for my unique family." She rested her other paw on the paw he had on her knee, all the while her honey brown eyes looked into Sam's piercing blues.

“Negotiations can be tedious and judging by the nervous smile you were wearing when you opened the door, I’d wager you haven't had a bite all morning.”   
  
Still close with a smile that almost begged to be kissed. “Well I did say you owed me lunch. Might as well negotiate terms over breakfast.” She continued to purr, happy to be so close. In all the time they had been together this was the closest she’d ever felt towards the fox. 

“Well, it is only ten. I suppose we could spend the time negotiating.” With his last word he leaned in and closed the gap. The paw on her knee squeezed before sliding up her legs to wrap around her waist as the other arm went under her legs. He lifted her off the armrest and brought her over to sit in his lap as his arms wrapped around her waist.

Kristy cupped Sam's cheeks as she kissed him deeply. Her tongue snaking its way into his mouth as she snuggles into her boyfriend's lap. Her little bobtail doing its own thing under her.

"So," the feline pulled back and smiled, "negotiate over breakfast," She taped Sam's chest and smiled in thought. "And then, how about you and I celebrate?" She giggled warmly. 

“Oh? What did you have in mind?” Sam asked, enjoying the feel of her warm body against his.

The feline purred and snuggled herself into Sam's chest. "Well, you know."

Sam looked into her eyes with a bit of amused confusion for a couple of seconds before it dawned on him. As the realization of what she was hinting at began to register his eyes widened, eyebrows raised and smile dropped slightly. “Oh.”

“And?” Roxxie asked, looking slightly bored as she sat across from Kristy in her living room.

Kristy was still in her interview outfit as she laid on the couch in Roxxie and Kno's townhouse. She and Sam had had breakfast together, where he had dropped the second bombshell on her. "He turned me down." The feline said with her face buried in a pillow. Orchid was in the other room napping giving the adults a chance to talk freely.

"For the job?" She asked, sounding angry.

"Oh, no, no, he said it's basically mine." Kristy said sitting up. "Just, legally, he has to interview two other mammals." The feline looked more frazzled now then ever. "Sex, he turn me down for sex."

"That's a first." Kno muttered as he entered the room, wearing jeans and a band shirt.

"Yeah, sounds about right for our XYs." Roxxie replied as Kno handed Kristy a cup of coffee.

"Hey!" The coyote replied, sounding slightly offended.

"Is it a candid thing or are we just with guys that want to be monks or something?" Kristy asked after thanking her friend for the coffee. "Cause I haven't gone this long without some action since middle school." That wasn't an exaggeration.

"The second." Roxxie replied with a smirk and a flick of her massive tail toward her husband.

"That's not true!" Kno countered with a hint of indignation. "This coming from the female that looked me straight in the eye and then down to my junk before telling me it's been a week."

"True story." Roxxie said, matter of factly.

"And here's the thing, I love sex as much as the next guy. But four times a week is rough. We need time to recuperate!"

"This is why I stuck to felines." Kristy said sipping her coffee. "Four times in a day is nothing." Her face softened thinking about Sam. He wasn't ready and she knew why and she wouldn't push it. With another sip of coffee she realised being worked up like this wasn't something she should be doing. She had more important things to worry about. Which just so happened to hop into the room. 

Hearing her mother's voice, Orchid came in to see if it was really her. With a big smile Kristy set her coffee down calling Orchid's name. The child darted into her mother's arms and started to purr just like her. 

Roxxie and Kno watched their friend happily asking her daughter if she had a fun day, they watched as Kristy encouraged her daughter to tell her about all the little things she did with her auntie. The bobcat, who the pair never thought they would see such a side of, showed excitement for every little thing the child told her. From her favorite episode of a cartoon, to all the drawings she made. The mismatched couple smiled and Kno wrapped his arms around Roxxie, his paws cupping her belly as he kissed her on the head. Roxxie soon returned the kiss, for once without a sarcastic comment to make.

0o0o0o0o0

The two days after Kristy’s interview dragged by for both mammals. Sam wished he didn’t have to wait that long to let her know that they were ready for her to start working with them but things had to move at a certain pace in order for everything to be legal. She was by far the most qualified candidate they had to apply. When the time came, like any good boyfriend, Sam decided to deliver the news muzzle to muzzle. Pulling up to the parking lot he was surprised to find it so busy with cars filling up almost the entirety of the small lot the store composed of. Once parked, he made his way inside to find Kristy.

To say Sam felt out of place would be an understatement. In his dark blue polo, cargo pocket khakis and the way he carried himself with an air of authority, he felt like a police officer at a hippy convention. He turned his ears to find the voice he was searching for. With this many customers Kristy was sure to be helping on the floor. All he managed to hear was the white noise of the crowd and ringing in one of his ears again. With a frustrated sigh he started making his way around the instruments to find her. 

Rounding one of the aisles, he found her helping a young… Well, he wasn’t sure what kind of cat it was. The spots and stripes were like no other species he’d ever seen. His build and size were similar to a bobcat's but stockier. From where Sam stood, he was behind and to the right of Kristy and she wouldn’t notice him watching. He watched for a couple of moments as she let the cat examine a guitar and then play a couple of riffs on it. Sam made his way to the side so he could see her expression. The bobcat looked bored and disinterested as the male cat kept glancing at her with a flirtatious smile, the young cat thought he was impressing the bobcat with a little solo.

Kristy could play a better one in her sleep.

Sam couldn’t help the flare of jealousy that ran through him. But then he smirked when Kristy looked at him. The bobcat wore a black shirt dress that hugged her form and a blue tie that hung loosely around her neck. The bobcat’s face lit up as she hurried over to the gray fox and threw her arms around Sam. He could feel as well as hear her purring as she nuzzled her head under his chin. The cat with the guitar looked up at Sam, he looked confused as he processed what he saw.

Sam looked at the young cat with a smirk as he spoke to Kristy. “Got a minute?”   
  
“For you, of course.” Kristy purred looking up at Sam. The other cat looked lost, he thought for sure he was doing well, that Kristy was going to fall all over him. He was young though and still learning so could he really be blamed?

Sam pulled Kristy over to the side where they could talk without being overheard. “I thought I should tell you this in person. Everything’s ready, you can start whenever you finish your two weeks notice here.” He finished with a smile.

"So, I could, like, start today?" Kristy asked excitedly.

“Uh, yeah, you could, I guess.” Sam replied, a little surprised by the question.

Kristy pulled her name tag off her short sleeve. She held it in her paws and looked at it. "Lets go tell Kassidy where he can shove this job." She looked at Sam, her eyes begging him to not judge her for this. 

Sam felt a smile pulling at his lips, ready to do whatever she had planned. “Lead the way.” 

Kristy took Sam's paw and smiled as she led him to the back. Kristy spied the ditsy caracal talking with a friend. The bobcat gave the unaware source of her woes a single finger salute. Then roughly threw the door to the back area open, it hit the wall hard as Kristy called out. "Sorry, Sweet Flower." Knowing the sound would have startled Orchid.

Sam followed dutifully, his eyes widening at her brazzen actions. Kristy was tired of this place, tired of being responsible for so much and not compensated for it, tired of an owner's son who used this place as a hunting ground for sexual conquests. Candy was just the latest of a long line of girls he had slept with. Though,  at least he hadn't dumped her yet. 

Not that Kristy cared if this was a phase or not.

She was done here, the bobcat knew she should have put in her two weeks notice already but she didn't care. She led Sam to Kassidy's office. It was the typical high school pawball star that had everything given to him. Pictures of what one could only assume had been Kassidy in high school and maybe even collage hung from the walls, a few were of bands, one could have been Kassidy himself on stage. Pendants of his college team and favorite pro teams crossed the snow leopard’s office. A guitar stood on a stand beside the desk and judging by the dust, it hadn't been touched in weeks. 

What made it all even more pathetic was that Kassidy was a couple years younger than Kristy.

The snow leopard sat at his computer in a green polo shirt sipping on a protein shake, one meant for bodybuilders after a workout, playing online poker. He didn't even look up as Kristy walked up to the desk, held out her name tag and dropped it right into the top of his half finished shake. 

"What the hell Kristy?" Kassidy said, looking from the shake to the bobcat in question.

"Kassidy, I quit!" She said, looking down at him.

"So you throw your name tag in my shake?" The snow leopard growled, pulling the tag out and debating if he could still drink it.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." She said with a big bobcat smile. 

"Well," the snow leopard looked up at Kristy, he had no need to ask why, he knew and it showed on his face so to keep his employee he tried a different tactic "you know it's customary to give a two weeks notice. What would your new boss say about this little display?"

Kristy looked back at Sam. "What  _ do _ you say boss?"

As they’d entered the office, Kristy had let go of Sam’s paw and he’d waited by the door. When Kristy asked him the question, he assumed a relaxed pose of leaning against the door frame and smirked as he made a show of eying her up and down. “Looks  _ fine _ to me.”

Kristy wiggled her tail at Sam as she leaned over on Kassidy's desk glaring at the larger cat. "I think I'm going to be  _ just _ fine."

"Maybe but this doesn't seem like a good precedent to set for your daughter." Kassidy said, deciding to go for broke.The smile Kristy had vanished in an instance.

Sam saw a shiver run up Kristy’s spine, her claws drug into Kassidy’s desk. When she was quiet for longer than Sam expected, he realized what the leopard had said struck a chord and the fox needed to intervene. He stepped up and wrapped his arm around Kristy's waist and pulled her away as he spoke. “Perhaps not, but at least we won’t have to worry about her thinking an asswipe like yourself is what a real boss looks like.” He said with a smirk, then faced Kristy. “Ready to blow this popsicle stand?”

“Yeah.” The bobcat growled. “Need to show my daughter you don't have to stay in a situation like this.” She glared at Kassidy as Sam carried her away, once in the hall, Kristy sighed and looked at Sam. “Well that didn't go as planned.”

“No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy. Now that that’s done, let’s get your things and leave.” He suggested.

Kristy leaned close and kissed Sam's muzzle. "Yes, let's get out of here." She didn't have much to get, just her purse and Orchid. She hugged her daughter and whispered about how she didn't have to deal with this place any more to which Orchid just squeaked.

With half the day left Kristy, Sam and Orchid grabbed a quick lunch and headed over to the Retrans Networks building. Kristy was much less nervous this time. Orchid's little blue eyes scanned the place, she looked up at the massive doors that dwarfed even her mother. The chinchilla's whiskers wiggled as she sniffed the air.

Sam brought them into the main entrance, waving at Firn as they passed. He took them around the building and gave them the grand tour. Eventually making it back to his office and making them comfortable before bringing out a surprise. 

"And here you go." He set two boxes, one sized appropriately for each in front of them. "Open them up."

Kristy blinked and looked at the boxes. Her own whiskers wiggled as she set Orchid in front of the box her size. The child in her blue penguin tee and denim skirt looked up at her mother. "Go on. It's for you." Kristy glanced at Sam to make sure she was right.

Sam nodded in confirmation, waiting to see their reaction. As they lifted the boxes, Sam couldn't help the huge smile that made its way across his lips as they both gazed at matching laptops. They were sleek black and gray devices.    
  
While Kristy was wide eyed and thankful, more for Orchid's laptop than her own. The child herself didn't know what it was. She looked up at her mother and tilted her head. Kristy smiled as she explained. “It’s a computer like the one you used to use at momma’s old work.” She smiles and looks up at Sam, her bright face singing her thanks. “But it’s better.” She helps take the laptop out of the box. It was about the size of a small phone. “It's just your size and all yours.” Having never been given anything without strings attached, Orchid’s blue eyes shone with suspension.   
  
The feline used her claw to turn on the little laptop saying. “You’ll be able to do all kinds of school work and learn so much.” She smiled and rubbed her daughter's cheek while the laptop booted. “And you can play all kinds of games too. Just got to get all the programs.”

"And they're linked to each other. If you're having trouble with a school question or it's not working just let your mom know and she can help you. This way you don't have to strain your eyes trying to read the little screen." Sam said the last part to Kristy. He went on to explain that he'd had Firn preload it with Orchid's school curriculum. 

Hearing all the things Sam had done for both of them Kristy’s eyes sparkled. She held Orchid up smiling. “Sam, you're amazing. Don't you think Sweet Flower?” Orchid nodded in agreement with her mother. “So why don't you thank him?”    
  
Orchid looked up at Sam with her big scared blue eyes and wiggling whiskers. After a little bit more encouragement the child said. “T-thank you, Mister Sam.”   
  
Sam’s smile and eyes softened. “You’re welcome.”

They spent the rest of the day getting familiar with their new devices while Sam went about setting Kristy up in their system. He really hadn't expected her to quit that day. It would take a couple of days to get her completely setup but she could spend that time shadowing Firn at the front desk, after the bobcat got Orchid to tell Firn thank you. Which was entertaining on its own with how the younger gray fox nearly jumped out of his hide when Orchid spoke. Soon it was quitting time and the group went to lockup for the night.

"So, any plans for the night?" Sam asked.

“Nothing much. Maybe a movie.” Kristy glanced at Orchid as she played a simple puzzle game. “Why you ask? You want to come over and celebrate?” She giggled. “Can’t stay up too late though, boss wouldn't like it if I was late on my first full day.”

“That sounds nice. Might need someone responsible to make sure you get to bed early.” Sam said with a smirk.

Kristy stepped closer, her nose rubbing Sam’s. "Sounds like a good idea. Wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed for work." She kissed him on the lips gently before whispering. "Are you going to spend the night?"

Sam looked away, the most mynute of sighs escaping his lips. "If by spend the night you mean falling asleep on your couch ten minutes after getting there? Then yeah." 

“Can you wait to fall asleep till after a movie?” Kristy asked with a smiling purr.

Sam's waning smile returned in full force. "Depends on the movie." He replied, turning them towards their vehicles. Now eager to follow Kristy home.

“I grabbed a few from the bargain bin at PawMart so we got a selection.” Kristy said, slipping away to gather up her things and get Orchid to put her laptop away. The child did so with only light protest. “Oh, I had Stefano pick a rotisserie chicken on his way from school so dinner’s waiting on us.” Orchid made a quiet sound of disapproval.

“I’m sure we can find one that works. I’ll follow you there.” Sam said before walking towards his jeep.

The drive home was uneventful, other than the odd bad driver that cut Sam off on the main road. It happened everywhere so it wasn't even something he would remember by the time he got to his girlfriend's home. 

Stefano had some garlic potatoes roasting in the oven. Orchid squeaked and covered her nose, not liking the smell, while Sam commented on how good it smelled. Kristy was proud that her oldest took initiative to make dinner even better. He even got an unprompted thank you from his little sister when he revealed he had also prepared her a nice little salad complete with baby corn, some hay and crunchy seed clusters.

After dinner and some pudding for dessert, it was time to put Orchid to bed. After tucking in her daughter Kristy took off the cute tie she was wearing and joined the boys as they decided on a movie. Eventually they decided on the Cub's Play remake.

It was a decent movie, for a movie about a  self-centered, murderous, possessed red panda doll with a multitude of foul one liners. Stefano eventually had to excuse himself for being too scared. Kristy was shivering as she snuggled up to Sam as they lounged on the couch. The bobcat would jump at every scare and all but whimper during the more tense scenes. While Sam would laugh at some of the more gruesome scenes. He did his best to stay awake as much as possible. But having Kristy so close, being surrounded by her comforting scent, it gave Sam a sense of calm he hadn't experienced in many years.

Near the climax of the movie Kristy's ears twitched she sat up and paused the movie. Before the half-dosing fox could question her, the bobcat called out. "Orchid?"

Listening carefully, the sound of soft cries was easy to hear. Kristy pulled away from Sam, his tail falling away from her lap as she stood.

Sam was jolted awake, Kristy's sudden movements and the concern in her voice for the little chinchilla bringing him back to a level of alertness. He started to follow after her, but the little mammal who was currently in need still seemed a bit scared around him. So, he waited.

Kristy hurried to her bedroom, worried Sam may think she was ignoring him. She hoped he understood there was just someone who needed her more right now.” Orchid, you okay?" The mother cat said as she leaned over the castle bed. Seeing nothing but a lump under the sheets. "Did you have a bad dream?" She asked, rubbing the lump her trembling daughter made.

The moment Kristy touched her Orchid burst out from under the sheets and jumped into her mother's arms. The bobcat purred and held the child close as she whispered. "It's alright, it's alright. Dreams can't hurt you." Orchid spoke softly as she relayed what had caused her so much distress. "No no, I would never let that happen. You're mine and they'll never have you again." 

Rocking her daughter gently, the bobcat started to hum a calming rhythm before she began to sing. Her farmers' drawl made harsh by years of loud heavy singing gave way to a soft lullaby.   
  


 

_ Hush now, Quiet now, my little ball fur. _ _   
_ _ Hush now Sleep now drift off to mommy's purr. _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Hush now, Quiet now, we’ll play in the spring. _ _   
_ _ Hush now, Sleep now safe from winter’s sting. _ _   
_ __   
_ Hush now, Quiet now, Safe in mommy’s Den _ _   
_ __ Hush now, Sleep now to the angels’ hymn.

 

Kirsty smiled as she repeated the little lullaby and gently laid Orchid back in her bed and laid the blanket over her. The child was already asleep by the second verse as her mother leaned down and kissed her cheek after drying it with a finger. The chinchilla was much calmer now as Kristy finished the lullaby a third time. She was proud of herself. She might be winging it but she thought she was doing pretty good.

Unbeknownst to her, Sam had been standing in the doorway. The subtle sounds of her soft voice had beckoned to him like the sirens of the sea, calling sailors to their doom. He watched how she handled Orchid with such care and tenderness. Since they started dating he’d noticed how she sometimes fumbled with being a parent. Playing catch up with a child that needed extra emotional and psychological support wasn’t easy. But she never let the obstacles slow her down. All these things had the bobcat chipping away at the frozen remains of his heart. But just now, the display of affection and care that she showed to her crying child? She may as well have been assaulting the icy rock with a flamethrower. 

Sam left as she stood from tucking Orchid beneath the covers. Making his way back to the living room on shaky knees. Barely contained emotions wrapped themselves round his heart and yearned to be free. To show this cat just how much she truly meant to him. His mind raced with words and phrases to tell her. Yet, when the bobcat came tiptoeing around the corner, only two words came to mind.

“Marry me.”

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"...No.”


End file.
